ABUJA—The campaign team for Murtala Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in the recent Kogi State gubernatorial election, has called on President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to urgently remove the state’s Commissioner of Police (CP), Bertran Unuoha, citing escalating insecurity in the state as the primary reason.
During a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Isaiah Davies Ijele, Director of New Media and Spokesperson for the Muri/Sanu Campaign Council, expressed deep concern over the security situation in Kogi State. Ijele emphasized that the campaign team no longer has confidence in the CP’s ability to manage the state’s security challenges effectively.
Ijele highlighted the increasing lawlessness and impunity in Kogi, noting that the state has become a hotspot for crimes such as robbery and kidnapping, while the CP appears to be more focused on political issues. He further questioned the CP’s recent statement expressing concern over the forthcoming Supreme Court judgment in Kogi State, asking how the CP knew the court’s decision date when the composition of the panel for the case had not yet been finalized.
In response to a question about the whereabouts of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, Ijele revealed that Bello is currently residing at the Government House, where he is being hosted by the current governor, Usman Ahmed Dodo.
In a statement, the CP had remarked, “Remarkably, the outcome of the Supreme Court judgment is a source for concern in the security arena of the state, as political gladiators and their supporters may turn the celebration of victory or loss into an avenue to cause chaos that could give rise to grave animosity against whichever side the judgment might favor. Such might result in serious disturbance of public peace. Therefore, all hands must be on deck to ensure there is no breakdown of Law and Order.”
