🇳🇬 Kogi Not a Safe Haven for Terrorists – Gov. Ododo Warns

Abuja, Nigeria – June 21, 2025 | The Bureau News

Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State has issued a stern warning to criminal elements infiltrating the state, stressing that Kogi will not serve as a safe haven for terrorism or banditry.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday after meeting with the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the governor said criminal elements have only found their way into Kogi due to ongoing pushback by security agencies in the Northeast and Northwest regions.

“Kogi State is not a fertile land or free destination for criminals to come and trade. We are dealing with them decisively. They are hearing it. We don’t make noise,” Ododo warned.

Benue Killings Raise Alarm

Ododo’s remarks come in the wake of national outrage over the killing of about 200 villagers in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State on June 13, 2025. The massacre is one of the deadliest incidents in recent times and has heightened fears about the spread of violence across the country.

Kogi’s Strategic Location a Security Concern

The governor noted that Kogi’s geographical location—sharing borders with 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory—makes it susceptible to infiltration.

“A state that borders this number of states will definitely experience one form of insecurity or the other,” Ododo said.

He also cited the underutilisation of the state’s resources, including over 32 mineral deposits and vast arable land, as contributing factors to unemployment and insecurity.

Development and Revenue Drive

Governor Ododo reiterated his administration’s commitment to enhancing security and economic development, recalling his campaign pledge to improve the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

“I am a promise keeper. That is why I hardly talk. We have increased the IGR,” he said.

The governor emphasized that safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of the people remains his top priority, assuring that his administration is not taking security threats lightly.

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