We’re still after abductors, no ransom for criminals – Kogi gov

By Boluwaji Obahopo

‎Governor Ahmed Ododo on Friday declared that the rescue of the four victims abducted from Government Secondary School, Olowa Agbajo, in Dekina Local Government Area would not halt the ongoing manhunt for those behind the attack.

‎The governor said security agencies had been directed to sustain operations until every member of the kidnapping gang was arrested and brought to justice, insisting that his administration would not negotiate with or pay ransom to criminals.

‎Ododo spoke on Friday in Lokoja while receiving the four rescued victims after they regained their freedom through a joint security operation involving the Police, the Nigerian Army and other security agencies.

“We are grateful to God that all the victims were rescued alive, but the operation is not over. Those responsible for this heinous crime must be arrested and made to face the full weight of the law,” the governor said.

‎He reiterated his administration’s zero-tolerance policy on ransom payments, stressing that yielding to criminal demands only emboldens kidnappers and other violent groups.

‎”There is no room for ransom or negotiation with criminals in Kogi State. Our approach remains to strengthen security operations, protect lives and ensure those who commit crimes are apprehended and prosecuted,” he stated.

‎On the controversy surrounding the use of the abandoned Government Secondary School, Olowa Agbajo, as a centre for the ongoing NECO examination, Ododo said the state government would await the outcome of the police investigation before taking further action.

‎He noted that while preliminary reports had raised questions about how the abandoned facility came to be used for the examination, the government would allow security agencies to conclude their investigations and establish the facts.

‎”The police are already investigating the circumstances that led to the use of the facility. We will wait for the outcome of that investigation before taking appropriate decisions,” he said.

‎The governor also hinted at possible local collaboration in the incident, saying the operation of criminal elements often thrives on support from individuals within affected communities.

‎According to him, the circumstances surrounding the attack suggest that security agencies must not only pursue the kidnappers but also identify anyone who may have aided or provided information to them.

‎”We cannot rule out local collaboration. Criminals do not operate in isolation. Anyone found to have assisted them in whatever form will equally face the law,” he said.

‎Ododo commended the Kogi State Police Command, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, local vigilantes and hunters for their coordinated efforts that led to the successful rescue of the victims without loss of life.

‎He assured residents that his administration would continue to invest in security and support security agencies to ensure criminals have no safe haven anywhere in the state.

‎The governor also urged residents to remain vigilant and volunteer credible information to security agencies, saying community support remains critical to winning the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes.

The victims were afterwards reunited with their families.