Kogi’s Security Crisis Deepens: Experts Link Porous Borders to Surge in Violence

Lokoja, Kogi State – A palpable sense of insecurity is gripping Kogi State in Nigeria’s North-Central region, as a wave of kidnappings, killings, and other violent crimes sweeps across its communities. Recent abductions, including those of a monarch’s daughter and a local government chairman, have intensified anxieties, with security analysts increasingly pointing to the state’s permeable borders—allegedly a consequence of past government policies—as a primary contributor to the escalating crisis.

Across Kogi’s three senatorial districts, numerous communities are living under a virtual siege. Villages such as Kupa, Tajimi, and Ogbaibon in Lokoja Local Government Area (LGA), alongside Suku, Kiri, and others in the Bunu district of Kabba-Bunu LGA, have seen significant depopulation. Residents are abandoning their homes, fearing abduction, sexual assault, injury, or death at the hands of marauding criminal elements. The eastern flank of the state, encompassing areas like Bagana and Bagaji in Omala LGA, as well as communities in Dekina and Olamaboro LGAs, reports a similar exodus driven by bandit invasions.

The human toll is stark and deeply troubling. Reports indicate the presence of approximately 2,000 herder encampments within the state’s forests, with a continuous influx of more pastoralists. These movements have been anecdotally linked to a rise in violent attacks. In one horrific incident last month, two women tending their farm in Okete village were reportedly raped, murdered, and their bodies set ablaze, with perpetrators yet to be identified.

High-profile kidnappings underscore the severity of the situation. The son of Aiyegunle Igun’s traditional ruler in Kabba-Bunu LGA was recently abducted along the Kabba-Obajana Road and freed only after a ransom demand of N35 million was reportedly met. Tragically, the son of the traditional ruler of Oyo-Iwaa, the host community of the Obajana Cement Plant, did not survive his abduction; he was killed by his captors, who also murdered two vigilante members attempting a rescue. Community leader Ruth Williams was also taken during that incident.

Such events have fueled public outrage. In Obajana, frustrated youths barricaded local roads, protesting the frequent abductions. One protester, Daramola, whose cousin was kidnapped, stated, “These kidnappers are in groups, wearing security uniforms. Herdsmen are occupying our farmlands and building ‘Rugas‘ while the state government is doing nothing about that.”

In Aiyetoro Kiri, Kabba-Bunu LGA, the abduction of six individuals and a timber contractor by heavily armed assailants, who also looted over 50 mobile phones from a local charging shop, was described by Tolufashe Olusegun, National President of the Aiyetoro-Kiri Development Association, as one incident too many. He lamented that frequent attacks by armed groups have made farmlands inaccessible. Similar fears pervade Odo-Ape, where a local councillor and eight others were seized from their homes at night, leaving the traditional ruler, Michael Meseko, to admit the community is “enveloped with fears.”

Even local government officials are not immune. Dare Zacheaus, Chairman of Kabba-Bunu LGA, was himself abducted along the Okene-Kabba road in March. He managed to escape, but his three aides were less fortunate, allegedly freed only after a substantial ransom payment.

The persistent violence has triggered widespread protests. Notably, elderly women from Oke-Ere in Yagba West LGA demonstrated half-naked, decrying the killing of three persons by suspected herdsmen and what they termed an “endless reign of terror.” They implored government and security agencies to intervene decisively.

The Okun Development Association (ODA), representing the Okun-Yoruba people, has expressed grave concern. At a recent security summit in Kabba, ODA President-General Akenson Rotimi highlighted the alarming rise in kidnappings and banditry, urging authorities to intensify efforts. The Olujumu of Ijumu, Oba Williams Olusegun Ayeni, posited that these attacks by “non-indigenous criminal elements” might be driven by a land-grabbing agenda aimed at subjugating the Okun people, a threat he insisted “must be jointly resisted.”

Retired Major John Ojo proposed solutions, emphasizing the need for deep government commitment to community policing. He called for the reorganization of vigilante and hunter groups with improved welfare and remuneration, alongside meticulous documentation of all newcomers to the state. He also urged the government to address the issue of trucks allegedly transporting large numbers of individuals from northern regions and neighboring countries into Kogi and other southern states.

A visit to Oyo village in Lokoja LGA, a recent hotspot, revealed a community hollowed out by fear, with numerous abandoned homes. The traditional ruler’s daughter was reportedly kidnapped there and, as of weeks ago, remained in captivity. A vigilante leader lost his life during a failed rescue attempt. Elsewhere, in Akpamoba, two pastors were abducted during a prayer vigil but were later rescued following intervention by a local government chairman.

Communities in Olamaboro LGA in the Eastern Senatorial District also report infiltration by bandits. Dr. Donatus Okpe, President of the Imane Descendants Union, conveyed his people’s distress, stating that no part of their community felt safe due to the constant harassment by bandits, herders, and other criminals over the past two months. He appealed to the Inspector General of Police for the prompt deployment of personnel to the newly constructed Divisional Headquarters in Imane.

Ahmed Mohammed, former Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly and now a Special Adviser to the Kogi Governor, assured that these concerns would be relayed to Governor Usman Ododo for immediate attention. He also encouraged citizens to share information with security agencies.

The cycle of abductions continues, with Taiwo, a former legislative aide, recently taken from Agbaja village in Lokoja LGA. Communication difficulties in many parts of the state reportedly hampered contact from his abductors.

Many observers and security experts theorize that the surge in insecurity is linked to a previous state government stance perceived as welcoming to herdsmen. This, they argue, may have inadvertently attracted bandits displaced by security operations in the North-East and other regions, who found Kogi a fertile new ground for their activities, often allegedly collaborating with kinsmen already established within the state.

Dr. Yakubu Eleojo, a security expert, elaborated that the criminals are likely seeking refuge from intensified pressure in other northern areas and even beyond Nigeria’s borders. “Also, don’t forget,” he noted, “that the Kogi State Government had earlier on given them a blank cheque to feel free to settle in any part of the state they wanted; they are now heeding to the call but met pockets of resistance here and there.”