A community leader, Mr David Abimaje, has narrated how gunmen attacked 32 villages in Oganenigu community of Dekina Local Area of Government of Kogi State between 7 am to 8 am on Sunday without any response by security operatives.
The community leader spoke when Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, represented by his Deputy, Chief Edward Onoja visited the community in company of heads of security operatives in Kogi state on Tuesday.
According to him, eight persons including an All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward Chairman, Jacob Wodi Hulobu, a resident pastor of the Living Faith Church in Aloko-Oganenigwu were killed while about 50 houses were destroyed in the attack.
While lamenting, Abimaje said, “It’s unfortunate that Oganenigu community, which comprises 32 villages has no single police station even in the face of several attacks by herdsmen.
”We alerted the security agents of the attack before it happened. They came around on Saturday but left after a while that same day only for the attackers to come on Sunday to attack us.
”By our records, eight people lost their lives in the Sunday attack including the APC Ward Chairman while 50 houses were destroyed, ” Abimaje said.
He, however, appealed to the Federal, State Local Governments to come to the aid of their communities and put an end to incessant attacks on them by herdsmen.
He urged the governor to facilitate the establishment of a Military Forward Base that will oversee the security of the 32 communities in Oganenigu so as to “save our lives, property and ancestral homes from herdsmen.”
Speaking during the visit, Onoja vowed that the Kogi Government will bring the perpetrators of attacks to justice.
He described the attacks as ”barbaric” “unacceptable” deserving serious action to be taken to forestall a re-occurrence.
“As we speak, the military on ground have forestalled more casualties and they will continue to be on ground.
“There will be more deployment of the Mobile Police Anti Terrorism Squad. The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has taken stock of the situation to ensure quick intervention informed of palliatives to cushion the effect of the pains for the community.
“Kogi is proactive, we do not waste time in dealing with issues and challenges of our people.
Meanwhile, the Governor has charged security agencies in the state to unravel the attackers of three communities in Dekina Local Government Area to put an end to such a dastardly act of inhumanity.
