Trending 
In response to rising insecurity, the Kogi State government has affirmed that it will not negotiate with criminals, insisting it has the capacity to handle the situation.
Kogi, like other North-Central states, has faced a surge in criminal attacks, including several recent abductions.
Last week, armed bandits carried out two kidnappings in the Yagba East Local Government Area, though security forces rescued five victims within days.
On Sunday, a pastor and his wife were abducted during a church service in the Yagba West Local Government Area.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, stated that the government would not yield to criminal threats.
“In Kogi State, we don’t negotiate. The governor has made it clear that he will not bow to any criminal. We have the capacity to take them out; we have the capacity to deal with the situation, so we are not going to negotiate with any of them,” he said.
Fanwo added, “We regret that in the exchange of fire between the kidnappers and security agencies, two people lost their lives. But many of the criminals now know that Kogi is a no-go area for them. We did not negotiate with any criminal, and we are not interested in doing so.”
He emphasised that the state government will continue deploying all available security resources to confront and neutralise criminal elements.
