The Security Adviser to Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State, Commodore Jerry Omodara (rtd), has raised serious concerns over the role of some Okun indigenes in fueling insecurity in the region.
Omodara, in a statement, disclosed that some youths and women in Yagba are allegedly aiding bandits by working as informants, supplying food, and even engaging in intimate relationships with them.
“There are people in Yagba West who paid the bandits money so that they wouldn’t be kidnapped. We will expose such people at the appropriate time because enough is enough,” he said.
He further lamented that bandits now enjoy the collaboration of locals. According to him, some women have been selling soft drinks, bread, and other items to the criminals while also providing sensitive information.
“Our youths are already involved; they use their motorcycles to supply weapons and ammunition into the bush. Some women bring ammunition from the far north, and our youths, for just a token, deliver them to the bandits who then terrorize our people,” Omodara revealed.
He also expressed dismay over reports of some Okun women becoming girlfriends to bandits, describing it as both shameful and dangerous.
“It is regrettable that our people are now aiding bandits. To make matters worse, Okun indigenes are becoming so lazy that it is Fulani settlers who are now farming okro, pepper, and maize on our behalf. This is an aberration,” he warned.
Omodara stressed that the Kogi State government will not hesitate to treat any Okun youth caught collaborating with bandits as part of the criminal network.
Source: Samuel OJ Temibi
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