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From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
Former President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Senator Smart Adeyemi, has condemned the series of banditry attacks in Kogi State, particularly in the Okun-Yoruba-speaking areas, while commending Governor Usman Ododo for his commitment to addressing the security challenges.
Adeyemi, in a strongly worded press statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja, praised Ododo for his swift response to the people’s distress and for personally visiting forests and affected communities to assess the situation.
He said the governor’s actions clearly demonstrated that Ododo is a committed leader who cares deeply for his people and is willing to go the extra mile to ensure peace and tranquillity in the state.
Senator Adeyemi also commended the State Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara (rtd), for working round the clock with security agencies to ensure that crime and criminal activities in the state are reduced to the barest minimum.
The statement reads in part:
“I want to sincerely commend Governor Usman Ododo for his relentless efforts and his personal involvement in the war against terrorism in Kogi State. I also want to commend him for the equipment he has acquired and the ones he is still acquiring in order to keep our people safe, especially the drones and armoured vehicles he has newly acquired.
“I am particularly concerned because the terrorists, to a large extent, have seen Kogi West as a very fertile ground to carry out their banditry because of the enormous human and material resources that abound in Kogi West.
“Many of them are into mining, and that accounts for the high population of foreigners who are not Nigerians already occupying a large portion of our forests.
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“It gladdens my heart to see the governor personally enter the forest to take on-the-spot assessment of what is happening and for him visiting communities and families of those traumatised. I commend the resources being channeled towards keeping our people safe, as the primary responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property, which Governor Ododo is doing very well.
“I equally want to commend his Special Adviser on Security, Commander Jerry Omodara (rtd), who has been so outstanding in this war against terrorism. I have personally monitored him most of the time in late-night operations going through thick forests in pursuit of the bandits. I have had cause to call Omodara in those odd hours, and he would sometimes be needed to show me live videos in the forest.
“I wish the governor to continue with this spirit, as not only are the people praying for him, but his own God will not forsake him. It is a war that must be won, and I am not in doubt that there is a good team. The combination of the governor and the Special Adviser is doing tremendous work.
“Both at late nights, the governor himself is seen moving around highly volatile areas. I have taken my time to study the problem of insurgency across the state, especially in the west and in the eastern and central districts, and I commend the governor for all he is doing. I wish that this war will continue until all the terrorists are rid of our territory.”
Smart Adeyemi also appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the support given to the state to ensure peace and stability, adding that his re-election was a done deal.
While commiserating with families of victims who lost their lives and sympathising with those still in captivity, he urged residents to form viable vigilante groups to support government efforts in tackling banditry.
“Our people should be rest assured that we have a government that is very much committed to the safety of lives and properties of our people, and that very soon, this crisis will be over, especially with the amount of resources being put into acquiring sophisticated equipment.
“Our people should bear in mind that we have never been conquered by any foreign invaders from time immemorial. In this one, with the support of the federal government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Usman Ododo and the Special Adviser on Security, Jerry Omodara, we will definitely overcome the invaders,” he added.
