Ododo vows no mercy for kidnappers as rescue operations free victims

The Kogi State Government has announced the dismantling of a sophisticated criminal network operating across the Western Senatorial District, with shocking revelations of widespread local collaboration in kidnapping operations in the area.

Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, in a press statement disclosed details of how joint security forces uncovered an intricate web of local enablers supporting kidnapping gangs in Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu, Yagba East, and Yagba West Local Government Areas.

The security crackdown was triggered by a series of high-profile kidnapping incidents, including the abduction and death of a retired Nigerian Army officer from Odo-Ape, and the kidnapping of a prominent farmer from Ponyan in Yagba East.

Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s promise to rescue kidnapped victims alive has been fulfilled, with the farmer and several others successfully freed and reunited with their families within days of the governor’s assurance during a recent event in Isanlu.

Similarly, victims kidnapped from Kiri in Kabba/Bunu LGA were rescued in another operation, with their testimonies providing crucial intelligence that led to additional arrests and breakthrough discoveries about the criminal network’s operations.

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Among the significant arrests is Babatunde Aledare, a native of Ayetoro Kiri in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, identified as a key informant. Currently in custody, Aledare has made detailed confessional statements about his role in the criminal ring, leading to more arrests in the past 48 hours.

The investigation has also shed light on the mysterious death of Samson Enietan, described as a notorious criminal informant. While preliminary reports suggested suicide, the Kogi State Government disputes this version, instead pointing to an internal execution by fellow conspirators fearful of exposure.

Web of Local Collaboration

Fanwo described as disturbing the revelations about the extensive local support network enabling criminal operations. The government has identified several categories of collaborators:

Bread sellers and sachet water factories have been found supplying food and water directly to kidnappers in forest hideouts. These supplies are transported by motorcycle operators acting as couriers between town-based vendors and criminal camps.

Fuel stations were also implicated in selling petrol in containers, which is then delivered to kidnappers to power their operations in remote areas even as wood vendors were discovered supplying food and basic items to criminal groups in exchange for “business protection” in the forests where they operate.

Most alarmingly, some traditional rulers and youths are under investigation for allegedly selling parcels of land to known criminal elements, used to build detention camps and shelters for kidnapped victims.

Governor Ododo has declared a comprehensive crackdown on all forms of criminal collaboration, emphasizing that “no one, regardless of status or position, will be spared if found guilty of enabling or abetting criminality.”

The government has also urged transport unions, market associations, fuel station operators, and all residents to actively warn their members against involvement in criminal supply chains. Citizens with credible information are encouraged to report to security agencies with guaranteed protection for whistleblowers.

Fanwo thanked President Bola Tinubu for his relentless support to security operations in the state, and also acknowledging the efforts of the National Security Adviser, the Director-General of the Department of State Services, and other security agency heads.

Governor Ododo has reiterated his administration’s commitment to maintaining Kogi State’s status as “a no-go area for criminals and their collaborators,” emphasizing that the safety of citizens will not be compromised under any circumstance.

The comprehensive nature of this criminal network’s local support system highlights the complex challenges facing security agencies in rural Nigeria, where criminal gangs have successfully embedded themselves within local communities through a combination of intimidation and economic incentives.

As investigations continue, the Kogi State Government promises decisive action to ensure that peace and security become realities rather than mere promises for all citizens of the state.

Crediblenewsng.com