The Kogi State Government has vowed never to negotiate with bandits under any circumstances.
Naijaonpoint reports that the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, made this known during an interview on Channels Television, insisting Governor Usman Ododo is maintaining a zero-tolerance stance on negotiating with bandits.
According to him, Ododo has made it clear that his administration will not engage in discussions or ransom deals with kidnappers, stressing that Kogi has the capacity to confront criminal elements.
Fanwo acknowledged the recent security incident in which kidnappers engaged military operatives in a gun battle, leading to the death of two civilians.
He expressed regret over the loss but maintained that the intensity of the security response sent a strong message to the assailants.
He said, “In Kogi State, we don’t negotiate. The governor said he is not going to bow. We have the capacity to bring them out; we have the capacity to deal with these criminals, so we will not negotiate with any one of them.
“We regret the fact that during the fire exchange between the kidnappers and the military security forces, we lost two people. But even the criminals knew that Kogi is a no-go area for them.”
The commissioner reaffirmed the government’s resolve to sustain aggressive security operations, stating that the state will continue to deploy its comprehensive security architecture to neutralise threats and protect residents.
He added, “We didn’t negotiate with any criminal; we will not negotiate with any criminal. We are going to deploy all our powers and security architecture to deal with them.”
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