Kogi Guber: Youth leaders caution politicians, followers over inciting statements

Ahead of the November 2023 Kogi State Gubernatorial election, Kogi Youth Leaders’ Forum has cautioned politicians and their supporters about making statements that will cause unrest in the state.

The President of Kogi Youth Leaders’ Forum, Comrade Richard Leke, while reading the open petition written by the Forum for the arrest of instigators of violence in the state on Tuesday in Abuja, said it became necessary to intervene following the utterances of some unpatriotic persons in the state.

He said these are individuals who specialize in instigating violence needlessly in the state through words and actions and need to be reined in by security agents before things get out of hand.

“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,” he said.

“We are also aware of the sponsored protest to the Defence Headquarters in Abuja today with the sole purpose of blackmailing the military and other security agencies from performing their legitimate constitutional duties in Kogi State.

“That protest was sponsored by people who have something to hide and are behind violent attacks in Kogi State and would, therefore, want security agencies to stay aloof without intervening to prevent violence in the state. They do not mean well for the state at all.

“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 bonafide Kogi State indigenes. They cannot be. Their protest today, which was comprised of non-Kogi indigenes except, perhaps, one or two of them, is a confirmation that they’re not Kogites”, Comrade Leke said.

He said a 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.

“We are so much concerned that because the governorship election is just five months away, some political miscreants being sponsored by instigators of violence in the state are beginning to set the stage for violence before, during, and after the election and blame it on others.

“This type of destructive politics cannot be allowed to play out in Kogi State. We’ve enjoyed near-perfect peace and harmony in the last eight years, and we do not want any group of politicians and non-politicians who know that they cannot win an election in an atmosphere of peace and stability to return Kogi State to its former state of anomie”, Leke stated

He, however, called on the Department of State Services to up its game in Kogi State by ensuring that all purveyors of chaos are dealt with.

“We demand that anyone seen to be instigating violence in whatever shape or form in Kogi State, no matter how highly placed, be promptly arrested and prosecuted.

“Those who hide on social media to make wild and unsubstantiated allegations should not be left out. Our organization does not believe in the ugly statement that politics is “a do-or-die” affair.

“The security operation which was hatched in the state a few days ago was thoroughly explained by your organisation, and we welcome any initiative to dry off the leaves on the tree of violence in Kogi State. No individual should be above the brute level of the sovereign Nigeria.

“If anyone is therefore, against the operation, he or she should be invited to come and explain how the operation has negatively affected him or her.

“The attitude of those people has light-torched the claims in certain quarters that some individuals are relying solely on violence and anarchy as the tools for jungle machinations to an end. We stand vehemently against violence”, he added.

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