Kogi Guber: How brave soldiers capture 5 APC deadly thugs on street of Anyigba [See their faces as paraded]

Saturday November 7 was a day of terror at Anyigba in Dekina Local Government Council. It was a day where deadly thugs of the All Progressives Congress, APC filed out openly with Sienna vehicle loaded with guns and in a show of strength, they engaged in sporadic gun shots on the street of Anyigba.

Though Anyigba, the seat of the pioneer Kogi State University, now Prince Abubakar Audu University has been a hotbed of thugery, and activities of evil men on daily basis, Saturday’s reign of terror was driven by Governor Yahaya Bello’s visit to Ankpa where he was billed to present a staff of office to the new Ejeh.

In order to show solidarity to the governor, thugs arranged themselves in two Sienna buses to accompany him from Anyigba to Ankpa but which they engaged in sporadic gun shots in broad day light.

Today, Anyigba and Idah are the most dangerous towns in Kogi East in a run up to the Governorship election slated for November 11 due to activities of thugs who are funded by the Local Government Chairmen. The Local Government Chairmen are backing Usman Ahmed Ododo, the governorship candidate of APC.

But back in Kogi East the APC has a strong opposition in the person of Muritala Yakubu Ajaka who earlier defected from the APC to SDP after he was unjustly cheated and maltreated by Kogi State Chapter of APC which is run by governor Bello even as a member of the NWC at the time.

In Dekina LGC in Kogi, there have been bloodletting almost on daily basis involving thugs who carried out attacks against their political opponents. Reported attacks by thugs have been on both sides of the divide, but Saturday’s incident that led to deaths of two persons, was self affliction, CAPITAL POST, has learnt.

Apart from the gun salute offered to the governor to depict their presence, confusion rocked their fold after money was offered to them by the governor. As shooting erupted, two of their members were shot and killed.

Narrating the happening, a resident said: “Thugs shot and killed two of their fellows following disagreement over sharing formula in Anyigba, Kogi State.”

After the disagreement, soldiers [Military Taskforce] who were on patrol to ensure peace and order, reportedly disarmed and captured some of them.

They were paraded by the Taskforce.

Reacting to their capture, the opposition Social Democratic Party in a statement which was obtained by CAPITAL POST on Sunday disclosed that the development did not go down well with Dekina Local Government Chairman Prince Ishaq Okolo, and he was making deft moves for their release.

The statement which was issued by Faruk Adejoh-Audu, Director of Communications
Muri/Sam Gubernatorial Campaign Organization read:

“There are fears that five thugs disarmed and arrested by a Task Force of the Nigerian Army in Ayingba, Dekina LGA of Kogi State this Saturday evening may be released due pressures coming from Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.

“The thugs known to be working for the Governor were arrested around the Unity Square in Ayingba while exchanging fire with rival gangs in the town.

“The sustained gunfire was said to have attracted the military task force made up mostly of the Army and some Navy personnel who quickly sealed off the area.

“In a mop-up operation that lasted over one hour between 2:00pm to 3:20pm the task force was able to capture five of about 12 armed thugs who were driving in two Toyota Sienna Bus.

The soldiers shackled the armed thugs after disarming them and then impounded the two Sienna Buses with Ododo 2023 illegally written on the space for registration numbers.

“But Muri/Sam Campaign Organization has reliably learnt that the outlaw Governor of Kogi State is making desperate contacts to set the thugs free.

“The Chairman of Dekina LGA, one Ishaq Okolo oversees Bello’s thugs and executes his violent operations in Kogi East was seen driving behind the convoy of military vehicles conveying the disarmed thugs obviously to recieve them if Bello’s pressures on the military hierarchy succeeds and the hoodlums are released.

“We are calling on the Nigerian Army with their reputation for professionalism to resist the pressure to set these enemy combatants free to harm the Kogi Public.

“We plead with the Federal Government to ensure that these dangerous bandits are not unleashed to kill and maim our people in imminent November 11 [2023] Governorship Elections.

“So far the bandits are still in the custody of the military . We are monitoring developments and we shall keep the public posted.”