Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State has raised concerns over rising insecurity in the state, attributing it to the spillover of criminal activities from the troubled northeastern and northwestern regions of Nigeria.
Speaking in Abuja on Friday after a visit to the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ododo warned that Kogi must not become a refuge for criminals fleeing military operations in other parts of the country.
“Kogi State is not a fertile ground or a safe destination for criminals. We are confronting them decisively. They are getting the message—we don’t make noise about it,” the governor said.
He explained that Kogi’s strategic geographical position, bordering 10 states including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), makes it particularly vulnerable to infiltration by armed groups displaced by ongoing military offensives.
“A state that borders this many states is bound to face one form of security challenge or another,” he said. “But what we are experiencing today in Kogi and across Nigeria is a challenge that requires collective action.”
Governor Ododo also pointed to the underutilisation of Kogi’s natural and agricultural potential as a contributor to insecurity. “We have over 32 mineral deposits in commercial quantities, yet they’ve never been harnessed to benefit the state. We also have arable land suitable for any crop, but it has remained largely untapped,” he said.
He linked the recent presence of criminal elements—whom he described as “people who hide in forests and cannot be called normal”—to displacement from military campaigns in the Northeast and Northwest.
Despite these challenges, the governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting the lives and property of Kogi citizens. “We are fully committed to securing our people and ensuring their safety and livelihoods are not threatened,” he concluded.
