The creation of kogi State 32 years ago,prescisely on August 27,1991,was not a tea party affair but predicated on mission and vision of the founding fathers of that noble cause that, their labour, characterised by personal sacrifices, would not be in futility.
However,for quite some times now, tongues have been wagging, especially among descerning minds in Kogi State, as to whether the dream of the agitators of Kogi State, popularly called " Kogi state founding fathers," is not being forced into oblivion.
When the founding fathers of kogi state left the comfort of their homes, about 40 years ago to agitate for the creation of the state of their dream, they had one basic belief in mind.
They had envisaged that the state would be a peaceful geo-political entity where its citizens and other residents would have peaceful environment to enable them contribute to the growth and development of the state.
As they criss crossed the length and breath of Nigeria, lobbying who is who in the process of state creation, to achieve their noble ambition,they did not imagine a situation where the citizens of the state would be subjects of attack of monumental of any sort by criminal elements.
The prayer of these "wise men" was also that Kogi State would become a model for its contemporaries created along with it in 1991 and be on the strong pedestal to compete favourably with them and even older states in Nigeria in all round of development.
These patroitic senior citizens of kogi state and Nigeria at large were absolutely right in the pursuit of their cause leveraged on the enomous abundant human and natural resources the state is endowed with
Happily on August 27,1991, the prayer of kogites was answered when the state came into being and its leadership, military and later, civilian government, hit ground running.
Reliable record shows that Kogi State is sitting on the keg of rich and abundant tourism, agricultural, solid mineral mineral and economic resources.
The efforts of various administrations in the state to tap these rich resources notwithstanding, the argument in various quarters is that improved effort in that regard will put the state on orbit of realistic social and econimic development.
However, the apprehension among keen observers of security atmosphere in the state is that, this dream is being threatened and more needed to be done by the necessary authorities to check mate insecurity in its area of jurisdiction.
Political analysts argue that if the dream of the founding fathers of the 32-year-old state is to retain its meaning, increased efforts must be put in place to check activities of criminal elements disturbing the peace of the people.
The recent orgy of violence, allegedly perpetrated by unknown gunmen at OganeNigu community, a hitherto peaceful community in Dekina Local Governnent Area of kogi state, is a potent case in point to support this cogent argument.
On April 2,2023, unknown gunmen took arm against the people of OganeNigu community and before anybody can say "Jack Robinson", the gunmen burnt houses, vehicles, motorcycles and business places.
At the end of the mayhem, property worth millions of naira were destroyed and some lives gone as well, leaving survivals as refugees cry ing for help with sour taste in their mouths.
"Our wives, children now taking refuge in neighbouring communities – victims cry for help," is the screaming headline by Kogi Report, a Lokoja-based online publucation in its report on the issue.
The publucation qouted the Governor Yahaya Bello as exoressing vow to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators of the attacks on communities in Oganenigu ward, Dekina local government area of Kogi state.
Bello made this known through his deputy, Chief Edward Onoja who led heads of security agencies in the state to Oganenigu for an on the spot assessment of the crime against humanity in that community.
The governor assured the communities of improved security intervention to forestall re-occurrence, adding that his government would be prompt in providing humanitarian supports for victims of the attack.
The governor,who explained that following reports of the attack, security forces, comprising military and police, were promptly deployed to the affected communities, noted with delight that their presence forestalled more casualties.
The governor,who described the incident as barbaric, pointing out though not very frequent in Kogi state owing to the fact that the administration frowned at such occurrence, promised that the perpetrators would be brought to book.
Governor Bello commiserated with families of the deceased and community members who have lost loved ones and their properties.
He directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to immediately provide relief materials to victims taking shelter in some internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps.
During the Governor’s visit, victims of the attack called for help, adding that children and women affected by the attack are taking refuge in various communities.
A resident of the community, Comrade Abimaje Prophet said Oganenigu consist of 33 villages, saying that Edede and Ojiapata villages were the first and second respectively to be attacked with all houses razed.
According to him, the community got an information about the attack and security agencies were briefed but the attackers launched the attack hours after the army left.
“This attack has been rumoured and we alerted security Agencies and on Saturday, we heard that some group of securities came to the town and after a while, they turned back, only for the attack to come up Sunday morning between 7:30-8a.m,” he said.
He noted that the attackers succeeded due to lack of security post and good road network in the area and called on government to come to their rescue.
The victim added that 8 persons, including the APC Ward Chairman of Oganenigu, were killed while trying to escape from the attack.
Another resident, Umar Edibo, said about 52 houses were razed, adding that many residents had been chased from their ancestral homes.
Mr. Abimaje David,who also narrated his ordeal in the crisis revealed that attackers who started from Edede community, wreaked havoc in Ojiapata and Oganenigu, leaving survivors running for safety.
The Executive Secretary of Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. Kolade Isaac, confirmed the enormous havoc wreaked by the perpetrators.
He revealed to journalists that upon submission of its reports of assessments, government would swing, immediately, to action to provide basic amenities for the victims
He said that SEMA had identified temporary settlement for some of the displaced persons and close to identifying those seriously affected for proper intervention.
After the visit, Governor Bello held expanded meeting with security heads, leaders of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) from Kogi and Nasarawa chapters, traditional rulers, local government chairmen of Idah, Igalamela-Odolu, Olamaboro and Dekina at the Ata Igala’s Palace in Idah in the course of finding lasting solution to the crisis.
In all, the people are of the opinion that the state government also need to revisit its security architecture, with a view to nipping in the bud areas requiring serious attention.
This they argued would make the avowed determination of the current administration in the state to rid the state of crime and criminality a concrete reality.
What more,the founding fathers of the state, who toiled day and night to achieve the birth of kogi state 32 years ago, would have been pleased to realise that their labour is after all, not in vain.
Dada Ahmed,a member of Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, publishes The Reporters.
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