Kogi

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has commenced the monitoring of 72 constituency projects valued at N16.3 billion across the three senatorial districts of Kogi State.

Assistant Commissioner of the commission, Wale David, made this known on Saturday in Lokoja.

He explained that the exercise is meant to ensure that the projects followed due process and are delivering real benefits to the public.

David added that the commission will probe projects that have been abandoned as well as those suspected to have been poorly executed. He said contractors linked to substandard work will be directed to return to site and fix the identified issues.

He also stated that intervention programmes will be reviewed to confirm the actual beneficiaries and assess how well they were implemented.

According to him, the exercise started in Lokoja with the inspection of the N6.2 billion Federal Secretariat Complex project and the N6.4 billion Inland River Port project.

He further disclosed that the monitoring will cover all 21 local government areas of Kogi State.

The commission noted that the initiative is part of efforts to improve transparency and accountability in public procurement. It added that the move is also intended to ensure that residents of the state benefit from projects funded by the Federal Government.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Kogi State Government has directed churches across the state to suspend night services with immediate effect, following intelligence reports of planned attacks on worship centres.

The directive was announced in a statement issued by the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo. He disclosed that security agencies intercepted communications among suspected bandits who were plotting to strike a church in Ijumu Local Government Area.

According to the commissioner, the attackers singled out a church that allegedly continued to conduct late-night services despite repeated security warnings.

Fanwo said the criminals were overheard bragging that they would make “a lot of money” through the abduction of worshippers for ransom during a service.

He explained that security agencies have already launched coordinated operations to frustrate the planned attack. He, however, stressed the need for strict adherence to government security directives.

“We have observed with deep concern that despite clear security advisories, some churches still operate late into the night. This is unacceptable in the face of prevailing security challenges,” Fanwo said.

He restated that no church is allowed to hold services beyond 4pm. He also advised that churches located in remote or bushy areas should relocate to safer locations to safeguard congregants.

The commissioner warned that any church that violates the order would face sanctions. He described disobedience as dangerous and irresponsible.

“This decision is not targeted at faith or worship. It is a safety-first approach designed to protect lives. Any church that deliberately disregards this protocol constitutes a security risk to its members,” he said.

Fanwo also directed security personnel to ensure that pastors comply fully with the order. He noted that the government would focus more on preventing attacks than responding after abductions occur.

“Our intention is to prevent crime, not to begin running helter-skelter to secure the release of kidnapped victims,” the Commissioner added.

The state government dismissed claims that the directive reflects weakness. Authorities insisted that they remain resolute in tackling criminal groups operating within the state.

The warning follows a series of attacks on worship centres in Kogi State.

In December 2025, gunmen abducted no fewer than 20 worshippers during a Sunday service at the First ECWA Church in Ayetoro Kiri, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area.

Sources said the assailants invaded the church during worship and fired shots sporadically, which caused panic. Several congregants escaped, while others were taken away through nearby bush paths.

Residents said the incident threw the community into confusion and fear.

Reports also indicated that one person identified as JayJay lost his life during the attack, while several others were abducted.

The incident was the second assault on a church in Okun land within a short period.

Earlier, on November 30, 2025, armed men attacked a Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West Local Government Area. The attackers abducted the cleric, identified as Orlando, alongside about 13 worshippers.

The gunmen initially demanded ₦500 million ransom. The amount was later reduced to ₦200 million. They issued a two-day ultimatum and threatened unspecified “consequences” if the demand was not met.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Nigerian troops and suspected terrorists were involved in a gun duel in Obajana town, Kogi State, where the Dangote Cement plant, reputed as Africa’s largest cement factory with a capacity of 16.25 million metric tonnes per annum, is located.

The incident was said to have occurred on Saturday night.Security analyst Zagazola Makama disclosed the development on Sunday through his X handle.

He stated that the exchange of fire followed an attempt by suspected terrorists to gain access into the community.

“There was an exchange of gunfire between Nigerian troops and suspected terrorists in Obajana town, Kogi State, on Saturday night, as security forces sustained ongoing clearance operations in the area.

“Troops are engaging the terrorists who were reportedly attempting to infiltrate the community,” he wrote on X.

As at the time of filing this report, the Defence Headquarters had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

It will be recalled that scores of terrorists were recently neutralised during a joint operation carried out by the Nigeria Police and the military in Kogi forests.

By Uzair Adam

The Kogi State Police Command says its operatives from the Police Mobile Force, 70 Squadron, Kabba, have rescued passengers from an attempted abduction along the Kabba-Ayere Road.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP William Aya, told reporters in Lokoja on Saturday that the incident occurred on Friday.

He explained that upon receiving a distress call, reinforcement teams from Sharper Corner pindown were swiftly deployed to the scene.

The officers engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel, forcing them to flee into the bush and abandon their victims, who were subsequently rescued.

The Commissioner of Police in Kogi, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, has ordered the deployment of additional tactical and operational assets to comb the surrounding bushes and apprehend the fleeing suspects.

Dantawaye commended the officers for their swift response and reiterated the commitment of the command to ensuring the safety of residents and travelers in the state.

By Anwar Usman

Ibrahim Anate, the acting Executive Secretary, Kogi State Agency for the Control of Aids, has declared that no fewer than 50,000 people are currently living with HIV/AIDs in the state.

Anate made this kniwn in an interactive session with journalists during a road Walk in commemoration of the 2024 World AIDS Day in Lokoja, the state capital, on Monday.

The walk was organised by the Centre for Integrated Health Programmes, in collaboration with the Kogi State Agency for the Control of Aids.

In his speech, Anate said, “About 50,000 people are living with HIV presently out of which 36,066 are presently on treatment in Kogi State.”We are seriously fighting the scourge and we are giving the awareness to all the community and the hard-to-reach areas of the awareness of HIV in Kogi State.”

He further added that the state government, under Alhaji Usman Ododo, is doing its best to see that people who are living with HIV AIDs are on treatment and pregnant women who are HIV positive deliver negative babies.

“The current administration is also striving to ensure that people who are positive in Kogi State will turn to negative. The government is seriously commited to provide support to the Ministry of Health, and KOSACA to see that we take the campaign to the very hard-to-reach community and the community at large in Kogi State,” he added.

However, Anate, appealed to Ododo to sign the Anti Stigma HIV Law, which was recently passed by the state House of Assembly.

“When the governor ascents to this law, people that are HIV positive can have the confidence to declare their status. Many can’t do this because of the stigmatization in the society”, he added.

On his part, the Kogi State Technical Lead, Centre for Integrated Health Programmes, Inyama Lawrencia, lamented the transmission of HIV AIDs from mother to child in the state.

“We have been advocating for every mother to go for anti-natal services so that they can know their HIV status. With the record on the ground about mother-to-child HIV transmission, CIHP has been working in the communities to sensitise women to ensure that they come out to the masses to know their HIV status.

He noted that “one of the challenges is that due to the economic constraints of the country, Some Women who are supposed to go out to know their status don’t even go because of financial constraints”.

By Uzair Adam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Yahaya Bello, the immediate past governor of Kogi State, before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama over an alleged N110 billion fraud.

Bello, who governed Kogi State from 2016 to 2024, was arraigned alongside two former state officials, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, who are the second and third defendants in the case.

After they pleaded not guilty to the charges, Justice Maryann Anenih ordered the trio to be remanded in EFCC custody and set December 10 to rule on their bail applications.

The EFCC, represented by a team of lawyers led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, opposed their bail, citing Bello’s repeated failure to appear in a separate trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Joseph Daudu, SAN, leading Bello’s legal defense, argued that his client is presumed innocent under the law and requested bail to prepare a proper defense.

He also noted that Bello appeared in court in compliance with a summons served on him late on November 26. Pinheiro countered, arguing that the bail application was premature since it was filed before the defendants were formally arraigned, rendering it “incompetent.”

The EFCC’s charges, marked CR/7781, include conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and possession of unlawfully obtained property.

The Commission alleged that Bello misused state funds to acquire properties across Abuja, including: No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama (N950 million), no. 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II (N100 million) and no. 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro (N920 million).

Additional properties listed include locations in Wuse Zone 4 and a luxury apartment in Dubai. The EFCC also accused the defendants of transferring over $1.1 million to TD Bank in the United States and of possessing N677.8 million linked to Bespoque Business Solution Limited.

Meanwhile, Murtala Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in the last Kogi governorship election, expressed his willingness to provide evidence to the EFCC.

He applauded the agency’s actions and called for a comprehensive investigation into state finances during Bello’s tenure, from January 2016 to January 2024, to ensure justice and accountability.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Federal Government has shut down an illegal gold mine site in Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The move is part of the government’s efforts to combat illegal mining and reposition the sector to boost Nigeria’s economy.

The operation was carried out by the Mining marshals in Iyeh Odogbe, Isanlu community of Yagba East LGA.

The team dislodged illegal miners who had prevented lawfully authorized miners with licenses from accessing the site for 16 years.

Seven suspects leading various groups of illegal miners were arrested during the operation, which was led by Commander Attah Onoja of the Mining Marshals.

The site workers have been given five days to vacate the site, and operations to secure the area and ensure its full recovery for lawful mining activities will continue.

This crackdown comes after the Federal Government announced the arrest of eight Chinese nationals suspected of illegal mining in Abia State on July 12.

 By Uzair Adam Imam 

The embattled immediate past of Governor of Kagi State, Yahya Bello, has said that he did not appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja today because he feared that he could be arrested. 

However, Bello said he is ready to answer to the 19-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) preferred against him. 

The Daily Reality learned that, although Bello was absent for his arraignment, he briefed a team of lawyers who addressed the court on his behalf on Tuesday. 

Mr. Adeola Adedipe, SAN, who is a member of his legal team, told the court that his client would have made himself available for proceedings, but was afraid that he would be arrested. 

“The defendant wants to come to court but he is afraid that there is an order of arrest hanging on his head,” Adedipe, SAN, submitted. 

He also urged the court to set aside the exparte order of arrest it earlier issued against the former governor. 

Adedipe, SAN, contended that as at the time the order of arrest was made, the charge had not been served on his client as required by the law. 

He noted that it was only at the resumed proceedings on Tuesday that the court okayed substituted service of the charge on the defendant, through his lawyer. 

“As at the time the warrant was issued, the order for substituted service had not been made. That order was just made this morning. 

“A warrant of arrest should not be hanging on his neck when we leave this court,” counsel to the defendant added.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Gunmen attacked the secretary of the Kogi State governorship election tribunal on Monday, stealing sensitive petition documents related to the recent election. 

Police confirmed the incident, stating the attackers took petitions filed by five political parties. 

The stolen documents included petitions from the Action Alliance, Action People’s Party, Peoples Redemption Party, Social Democratic Party, and two record books. 

The attack occurred near the Central Bank of Nigeria office around 1:20 p.m.

The police have launched a thorough investigation and urged the public to refrain from speculative statements that could prejudice the probe. 

Both the Social Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress have traded accusations over the attack, raising concerns about the security of election-related materials and potential intimidation.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Usman Ododo, the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has clinched the coveted Kogi State governorship seat following the conclusion of the election held on November 11, 2023. 

Ododo secured an impressive 446,237 votes, outshining his nearest contender, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who amassed 259,052 votes.

Dino Melaye, representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), garnered 46,362 votes, trailing behind in the race. 

This declaration comes amidst the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to conduct fresh polls in select polling units within the Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area on November 18, 2023.

Professor Johnson Urama, the returning officer for the Kogi State governorship election, officially announced Ododo’s triumph on a Sunday evening, stating, “Ahmed Ododo of APC, having been certified by the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.” 

As the governor-elect, Ododo is now positioned to assume the mantle of leadership in Kogi State, with citizens eagerly anticipating the realization of his outlined plans and vision for the state’s future.