From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Yusuf Buratai yesterday said it was worrisome that Kogi State has taken over run by kidnappers and other criminal elements and pledged that he would deploy a special force to the state to curb it.
General Buratai made this known while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after a closed-door meeting with Governor Yahaya Bello at Government House, Lokoja yesterday.
He explained that he was in the state on a familiariation tour of Army Records Command, Lokoja and also to assess the security situation, adding that Army would not fold its hands and allow criminal elements to take over the state.
The Chief of Army Staff pointed out that the special force would move to the state by next Monday.
Earlier, governor Bello told newsmen that following incessant kidnapping and the rising wave of other heinous crimes, the state government approached the Chief of Army Staff to help tackle the spate of insecurity in the state.
He stated that the task to flush out criminal elements from the state is a task that must be done.
Bello stated that the state government has initiated operation ‘know your neighbour’, noting that whoever that is harbouring criminal elements would be exposed.