Following a series of kidnapping incidents recorded in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State recently, the residents have demanded the sack of the Council Chairman, Hon Friday Nicodemus Adejoh over alleged negligenc
Some of the residents, who expressed dismay over the rising insecurity in the Local Government Area, accused the Council Chairman of relocating to Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, instead of being on ground to address the problem in his domain.
While appealing to Governor Yahaya Bello to call the embattled Local Government Council Chairman to order, the residents said most parts of Olamaboro LGA was no longer safe.
A resident of Emonoja, a village in Olamaboro Local Government, identified as Adejo Okpetu told DAILY POST on Saturday that the embattled Chairman had abandoned his official duty, just for his own selfish interest.
According to the aggrieved resident, the Chairman had failed to compliment the effort of Governor Yahaya Bello in safeguarding the lives and properties of his people.
“Our Chairman, (Hon Friday Nicodemus Adejoh) hardly stays in our Local Government for two or three days to know what his people are facing.
“The next thing we will hear is that he has travelled to Lokoja enjoying himself while we are at the mercy of these criminals who perpetuate evil on a daily basis. As we speak, the people of Emonoja are living in fear.
“We don’t know who is the next victim. There are many kidnap cases going on within and outside our community. All we want is for our Executive Chairman to take the bull by the horn and ensure that sanity returns to our community,” he said.
Elder Abuh Onoja from Emagaba said if nothing changed, they might be forced to embark on a protest to register their grievances about the lackadaisical attitude of the Council boss to the security of his people.
“Things are getting out of hand. We want our Council Chairman back to Olamaboro to fix the security challenges we are facing now. Relocating to Lokoja or any other place will not solve the menace of kidnapping and armed robbery we are witnessing today.
“I am appealing to our amiable Governor to direct the Council Chairman back to his community. We are aware that there are many kidnap victims in the bush who are yet to be rescued. Their families are in pain. So, something urgently must be done to address the ugly situation we are facing now,” he lamented.
Ogwu Akogu and Ameh Peter both from Ogugu Centre and Ette communities, respectively, described the security situation in their areas as very worrisome.
They also appealed to Governor Yahaya Bello and security agencies in Kogi State to ensure that the high spate of insecurity was nipped in the bud.
All efforts to speak with the embattled Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. Friday Nicodemus Adejoh proved abortive as of the time of filing this report as he neither responded to calls nor replied to text messages sent to his phone line.
DAILY POST recalls that just recently, a community policing organisation, Kogi East Neighborhood Watch, (KENW) lamented the recent kidnap of travellers by unknown criminals on the Emonoja-Ette road, in the same Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The group noted that the gunmen were armed to the teeth with AK-47 and other dangerous weapons and were still holding their victims in the bush.
The group through its Secretary, Comrade Isaac Inah in a statement said: “while effort is ongoing to deescalate kidnapping in Kogi East, the spike in Olamaboro LGA at this time so close to the election when movement should be free is a pointer to possible fear people may have, including INEC officials, during the upcoming election.”
