Kogi State indigenes from the three major ethnic groups have appealed to the Department of State Services (DSS), the Police and other security agencies to invite those instigating violence in the state through hate campaign and unfounded allegations for questioning.
At a press conference held in Abuja, after an emergency meeting, they called on all genuine Kogites, both at home and abroad, to rise up against “merchants of disharmony” in the state.
The vice president of Kogi Youth Leaders’ Forum, Richard Leke, organising secretary, Ishaq Musa, Abdullahi Ugbede, member and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Kogi West Senatorial District candidate, Adeyemi Olabode John, among others, jointly addressed the press on behalf of the ethnic groups.
They insisted that those using their social media handles to spread falsehood and launch hate campaigns must be thoroughly investigated to fish out those instigating violence in Kogi State, demanding that those found culpable must be arrested and prosecuted.
Leke said the sponsored protest to the Defence Headquarters in Abuja yesterday had the sole purpose of blackmailing the military and other security agencies from performing their legitimate constitutional duties in Kogi State, adding that this must be resisted in the interest of peace in the state.
He alleged that the protest was sponsored by those behind violent attacks in Kogi State who do not mean well for the state, noting that, looking at the composition of the purported protesters, it was glaring that they were mainly street urchins picked from Abuja suburbs.
“Why would anyone wish to discourage security agents from doing their work if such a person does not harbour criminal intentions. It is either that or these people are not bona-fide Kogi State indigenes. They cannot be.
“Their protest today which consisted of non-Kogi indigenes except, perhaps, one or two of them, is a confirmation that they’re not Kogites. One or two sponsored agents of violence from Kogi just picked some street urchins on the streets of Abuja suburbs to do the so-called protest,” they said.
Expatiating on cases of hate campaign and unfounded allegations that must be checked, the Kogi indigenes gave an example of a post by one Faruk Adejoh-Audu.
Ugbede said, “Some of them have turned their social media handles to a platform for hate speeches and campaign of calumny that can instigate the people into a mob action that may prove extremely difficult to manage and lead to needless loss of lives and properties.
“A recent example was when one Faruk Adejoh-Audu made a social media post (kindly found attached) capable of compromising peace in the state and lead to bloody violence.
“As you can see, what Mr. Audu insinuated in that post can cause intractable violence in the state because it is meant to cause mass disaffection and violent clashes. It is our belief that Mr Audu has a hidden agenda for making this type of outrageous claim and must be made to explain to security agencies, especially the Department of State Services to which this petition is directed, why he is interested in causing mayhem in Kogi State. He must say all that he knows about plans to foment mayhem in Kogi State.”
The Kogi indigenes, in their petition titled, “An Open Petition To Quickly Arrest Instigators of Violence In Kogi State”, stated, “Any genuine Kogi indigene will never encourage violence and criminality by asking security agents to desist from decimating criminal activities in the state.
“All genuine Kogi State indigenes both home and abroad must rise up to condemn these merchants of disharmony pretending to be what they are not.
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