***urges immediate govt intervention
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
KOGI State House of Assembly has decried the rising spate of killings and insecurity in Bassa Local Government Area and called on the State Government to wade in to prevent further loss of lives in the area.
The House made the call in a resolution arising from a Motion of Urgent Public Importance moved by member representing Bassa State Constituency, Hon. Sunday Daku (PDP-Bassa) on the floor of the House at plenary on Wednesday in Lokoja.
Daku in seeking the support of his colleagues for the motion lamented the killing of several innocent persons by unknown hoodlums in the Local Government.
According to the legislator, Bassa Local Government Area in the past had the reputation of being the most peaceful and noted for peaceful co- existence, devoid of tribal, religious or political crisis until the year 2016 when an inter-tribal crisis broke out.
He said that the immediate past Governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello carefully managed the crisis and returned total peace to the Area until recently when the peace was disrupted by the unknown assailants.
Daku said that about two months back, a man went to his farm and met his untimely death in the hands of the unknown gunmen adding that on Wednesday, 23rd of October 2024, three illustrious sons of the land were murdered same bizarre manner by the yet to be identified gunmen.
The Legislator who bemoaned the spate of killings added that the following day, Thursday 24th October, 2024 again, two members of Sheria community were brazenly killed by the faceless gunmen.
Hon. Sunday Daku therefore prayed Kogi State Government to direct security agencies to draft their agents to the area to fish out the perpetrators and make them face the full wrath of the law and avert further loss of lives.
Seconding the motion, Hon. Abu Onoru-Oiza Jibrin (APC-Ajaokuta) explained that the spate of attacks in Bassa Local Government was getting out of hand, adding that the attacks were mostly targeted at farmers.
“We have also discovered that no value is being placed on human life anymore by these attackers. I am privileged to have seen some gory images from these incidents where victims were beheaded and their intestines, removed.
“This is not good for our State. There must be an urgent action to safeguard the lives of our people”, he said.
Major Enefola (APC-Igalamela/Odolu), supporting the motion, called for the removal of some security officers in Bassa Local Government who might be accomplices or conniving in the killing of innocent people in the area.
In his ruling, Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf decried the development and directed the House committee on Security to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the matter in collaboration with the local vigilantes.
Rt Hon. Yusuf also urged the security agencies in the state and the Local Government to swing into action and ensure that the perpetuators of the crime are apprehended to face the full wrath of the law. (Ends)