The Murtala Ajaka Campaign Team of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has called for the immediate removal of Kogi State Commissioner of Police (CP), Bertran Unuoha, due to the escalating security concerns in the state.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, on Wednesday, Isaiah Davies Ijele, Director of New Media and Spokesperson of the Muri/Sam Campaign Council, emphasised that the team has lost confidence in the CP’s ability to address the security challenges facing Kogi State.
“The security situation in Kogi State is alarming, and we can no longer trust the CP to handle it,” Ijele said. “The lawlessness and impunity in Kogi are getting out of hand. The state is becoming a den of robbers, kidnappings, and other vices, and the CP is not doing anything about it, but only acts when it comes to political issues.”
Ijele narrated his personal experience of being almost killed in the state, highlighting the severity of the security situation. He also questioned the CP’s statement regarding the forthcoming Supreme Court judgment in Kogi State, asking, “How did he know that the Supreme Court would deliver its judgment on Friday, August 16, 2024, when the apex court had not been constituted or composed yet?”
The CP had stated, “Remarkably, the outcome of the Supreme Court judgment is a source for concern in the security arena of the state, as political gladiators and their supporters may turn the celebration of victory or loss into an avenue to cause chaos that could give rise to grave animosity against whichever side the judgment might favoritism or fail.”
Ijele criticised the CP’s focus on political issues while neglecting the pressing security concerns. “The CP is more concerned with political issues than addressing the security challenges facing the state,” he said.
The campaign team is urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to remove the CP and address the security challenges facing Kogi State. They emphasised that the situation requires immediate attention to prevent further escalation.
In a related development, Ijele disclosed that former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello is currently residing in the State’s Government House, being accommodated by the present governor, Usman Ahmed Dodo.