By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
Members of the Kogi Central Think Tank Forum (KCTTF) have commended Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, for his recent meeting with Service Chiefs, part of efforts to find a lasting solution to the state’s security challenges.
The Chairman of the Forum, Dr. Haroun Opotu Yussuff, gave the commendation while speaking with our correspondent shortly after the group’s monthly meeting in Lokoja on Wednesday.
Dr. Yussuff expressed optimism that the Governor’s engagement with top security heads would significantly help curb the rising wave of insecurity in the state.
He urged residents,particularly those in Kogi Central Senatorial District,to exercise caution when boarding commerciall vehicles or motorcycles, stressing the need for vigilance in daily movements.
The Forum Chairman dismissed allegations attributed to Malam Gumi, which claimed that Egbira youths make up 90 percent of ISWAP membership.
He described the claim as baseless and unsupported by evidence, noting that Egbiras are widely known for moral discipline and a strong aversion to criminality.
He said that for the fact that an Egbira person is found amidst the bandits does not necessarily mean to carpet almost all of them as belonging to the bandits without any empirical evidence.
Dr. Yussuff called on the Chairman of Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI) in Kogi state,Amb.Usman Eneyamire Bello,to investigate Gumi’s assertion in order to clarify the truth regarding security issues in the state.
He advised youths in Egbiraland to shun all forms of anti-social behaviour and remain committed to peace-building efforts.
