Leaders of Ejule, a community in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, have appealed to the government on Thursday for assistance amid a violent siege by a gang.
Isaiah Ijele, a prominent community leader and the Director of New Media and Spokesperson for the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Kogi State, reported that armed individuals are moving freely in and around the community, causing widespread fear and anxiety among residents.
Ije said: “The safety and security of the people should be the utmost priority of any government.
“It is unacceptable for individuals to roam freely with weapons, potentially endangering the lives of innocent citizens.
“The fact that such blatant disregard for the law is happening in the same hometown of the Deputy Governor is troubling.
“It raises serious questions about the rule of law and the responsibility of those in power to uphold justice and protect our land from criminals and thuggery activities.
“Many of our members already sustained injuries in the same community and environs.”
Therefore, he ( Ijele) called for a thorough investigation into the matter and urged the state government and security agencies to take swift and transparent action to address the issue of lawlessness and potential collusion with criminal activities.
“The community deserves to feel safe and protected, and it is imperative that those responsible for maintaining law and order act swiftly to restore trust and ensure justice prevails”, he said.
Recall that during a clearing operation in Jaguna, off Iye/Odogbe towns in Yagba East Local Government Area, Kogi State, seven alleged illegal miners were taken into custody by the mining marshals.
According to a statement released in Abuja by Segun Tomori, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development’s Special Assistant on Media, the arrest came about as a result of the suspects’ defiance of the Marshals’ warnings to leave the mining site.
“The Mining Marshals conducted a raid on the Jaguna mining site on July 15, 2024. As a consequence, several labourers were arrested and told to leave the region within five days.
“Rather than comply with the directive, the illegal miners mobilized additional workers and fortified the site with armed protection. This led to the latest operation by the Mining Marshals to dislodge them.