Kogi State Government on Tuesday warned its youths against aiding and abetting kidnapping and banditry in the state.

State Security Adviser, Commodore Jerry Omodara (retd) gave the warning at the palace of Elegbe of Egbe, Oba Ayodele Irukera, while giving progress report on efforts by the state to fight insecurity in Kogi West.

Mr Omodara said the government vowed to treat youths, who helped bandits to unleash mayhem on residents as terrorists.

He stated, “Intelligence information at our disposal indicates that some youths in Okunland used motorcycles to convey weapons and foodstuff to bandits in the forest. We are aware that about six or seven Okun youths are already in our black book for being on the payroll of the bandits. Since it’s glaring that some of the youth have connection with bandits, government will not hesitate to treat them like bandits. Regrettable, the bandits connive with indigenes of Okunland. The bandits have gotten our women, who sell soft drinks, bread and other food items.”

According to him, the women supply them food items and give them vital information.

He further said there were people in Yagba West who paid money to bandits to avoid being kidnapped.

He stated, “We will expose such people at the appropriate time because enough is enough. The women of these bandits bring ammunition from the far North and pay our youths paltry sums to convey the ammunition to their men in the bush of Okunland, which they used in terrorising our people. Imagine, Okun women becoming girlfriends to bandits. Our Okun people are becoming too lazy that it is non-indigenes that now farm okro, pepper, maize for us. This is an aberration. Kogi State government is not sleeping over the terrorists in Okunland. We have arrested and killed many of their leaders and we will continue to go after them.

He, however, said the government would make the communities and the state safe for farmers by ensuring continued tracking and arrest of bandits, for residents to have peace.

He said the state government invested heavily in agriculture by providing inputs to farmers, saying time has come for Okun people to take their destiny into their hands and protect their land.

Mr Omodara appealed to the people to leverage the available potential in agriculture to improve on their standard of living.

He added, “This is the area I want our youths to harness in order to improve their standard of living.”

(NAN)