Kogi State

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The paramount ruler of Ebira people of Kogi State, the Ohinoyi of Ebira, Abdulrahman Ado-Ibrahim, has passed on.

The Daily Reality gathered that the monarch died on Saturday night after a brief illness in Okene at the age of 94.

“His death will be announced officially, during the day”, a source told The Daily Reality.

The deceased king was enthroned on the seat of his forbears in 1997 and his reign was relatively peaceful.

His Majesty was born on February 7, 1929. He attended both Western nursery and Quranic schools, and went on to conclude his primary education in 1940 at the Native Authority (NA) primary school in Okene, Northern Region (now Kogi State). He, began his secondary school education at Ondo Boys High School and later on moved to Oduduwa College, where he graduated in 1949. In 1954, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the London School of Economics and a master’s degree from Harvard Business School in 1959.

By Prof. Abdelghaffar Amoka

Kogi state still remains one of the worst-governed states in Nigeria since its creation in 1991. We are 14 days away from electing the man who will run that state for another four years, and every camp is doing its bit to enhance its victory at the poll. The zones of the candidates of the major political parties are all hopeful. Kogi West is hoping for a miracle to happen as the 139,485 votes from the senatorial election can’t win the election, supposing Dino Melaye can mop up all those votes from Kogi West. Unfortunately, Dino’s presence at the East and Central seems weak.

Kogi East is leveraging on its strong voter strength to reclaim Luggard House after eight years break. The truth is that the zone has the largest votes, and there are 217,460 votes from the Senatorial election to hold onto, supposing Muri Ajaka can mop up every one of those votes from Kogi East. The zone actually doesn’t believe that any other zone deserves to occupy the Luggard House. You can’t blame them. An election is said to be a game of numbers. Those with the number can even make an idiot to lead the wise.

Kogi Central, no doubt, has the least voter strength. They have a total of 106,303 votes from the Senatorial election, which cannot win the governorship election. But just like everyone else, the governor is working hard to make his preferred candidate succeed him. He has picked Usman Ododo, a potential successor, from his Local Government. His candidate has now been adopted as the KC Agenda. He is using the incumbency factor to get support from the East and West for his boy.

There was the emergency establishment of the third state university in the West, and the ministerial slot went to Kogi East. That is a nice political calculation, but is that enough to swing votes from these zones? Commentators are wondering what will a state that can’t pay LG and primary school teachers do with the burden of another state university.

There was a recent report that the state government has appointed over 200 SAs. 215 Special Assistants in an election period and a few months to the end of the government does not make sense to an ordinary person, but it makes a lot of sense to politicians. They are likely special assistants on election matters. Nearly all the traditional rulers, including that of my clan, are now first-class chiefs. Will my clan and the other clans across the state work for the victory of the governor’s candidate just because our traditional rulers are now upgraded to first class?

There is also an ongoing reconciliation within the Kogi Central. There are ongoing radio programs telling the people that they know they have wronged people and appealing to them to forgive and forget. It’s like the governor realises that it’s not everything that can be achieved with force and no more sending glowing fire to perceived enemies. He is trying to deploy a peaceful approach. We have not heard much of threats in recent times. That’s not a bad idea.

I read the names of some professors and other respected elites on a reconciliation tour. My question was this: where were these people when they were busy excavating and digging trenches on the roads of the opposition zone that they refused to fix? Where were they when criticism was considered as “haram” and critics were hunted? Where were when our public schools were left without teachers for the past seven years?

I wish these respected individuals had played an advisory role to right these wrongs before now. I hope the LG and primary school teachers and their families will find it easy to forgive and forget our ethnic and Kogi agendas

Is the reconciliation move late? It may be, and it may not be. Human beings, especially Nigerians, are known to have very short memory. We live by the moment. We are quick to forget yesterday if today is favourable. If I were the Governor, I would have started the reconciliation in January 2023 in preparation for the election and my agenda.

One of the basic problems is salary payment. No matter his achievements in other areas, the salary issue has shrouded them. If I were him, I would have blocked the loopholes and mopped up the available cash to improve the percentage of the salary paid to LG workers and primary school workers. Promise the workers that the next government will improve on it. Make them see reasons why they need to support me to actually the Ododo Agenda for “renewed hope”, especially on salary payment. The people need a glimpse of the promised hope before they can key into your project. That would have resuscitated his battered image and attracted support from unexpected places. He could have found it easy to sell the candidature of Ododo across the state without much stress.

Nobody is even discussing the future of Kogi state and the well-being of the people of the state. It’s all about selfish agendas. However, it’s about two weeks to the election, and I am still struggling with the choice of who to support. So, who should I support? Ododo for KC, my zone, to retain power for another 4 to 8 years? Muri for KE to reclaim their birthright? Or Dino for KW to also have a taste of Luggard House? It doesn’t matter if the candidate is said to be a clown.

The people of the state have gone through a lot over the last seven years. It was tough and tougher now economically.

My appeal is for the election gladiators to ensure that we have a violent, free election. Please, let’s have a peaceful election.

Abdelghaffar Amoka PhD, wrote from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He can be reached via aaabdelmalik@gmail.com.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

An 11-year-old boy, Friday Oshodi, was buried alive at Apamisede community in Lokoja, Kogi State, by his elder brother, Goodness Oshodi, for allegedly stealing N1000.

Goodness Oshodi buried his younger brother on Tuesday afternoon at the community, located after the army barracks in Lokoja.

According to a witness, the elder brother dug a hole and pushed the boy into it, covering him with sand up to his head.

A passerby was said to have spotted the boy in his predicament and raised the alarm, which attracted other people to the scene.

The witness said the boy was rescued on the verge of unconsciousness.

The Daily Reality gathered that the police were involved in the matter, and Goodness Oshodi is now in the custody of the police.

While he buried his younger brother alive, the suspect said his brother stole N1000, and his mother instructed him to punish him.

“He stole money. I don’t know the exact amount. It was said to be N1000. My mother told me to punish him for the act,” he said.

The Kogi State Police Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP William Aya, confirmed the incident, saying the suspect had been arrested and was undergoing interrogation.

He said it was alleged that the boy stole compulsively, which had even made him run away from home for almost two months recently.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Gunmen has shot and killed a vigilante in Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State. The victim, simply identified as Mustapha, was gunned down by unknown persons in the late hours of Saturday at the Ejeh Palace gate.

The attack is believed by many residents of to be politically motivated. A resident of who spoke to the Daily Reality on the ground of anonymity said: “Some powerful persons in the state want to instill fear in the voting population in the eastern part of the state.”

Another resident who spoke out of fear and sought not to be in print, disclosed that attacks on individuals have been on the increase since the conclusion of party primaries and as the state prepares for December gubernatorial election.

Daily Reality has gathered that the residents have threatened to arm and defend themselves if the culprits are not brought to justice by the government. As of the time of writing this report, the police is yet to comment on the issue.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

A yet-to-be-identified young man has died while tampering with a transformer and feeder pillar in Lokoja.

The lifeless body of the deceased was found in the early hours of Thursday beside a transformer at Paparanda Square, Lokoja.

Pictures of the deceased circulated and seen on social media showed the deceased clutching to the cables believed to be taken from the equipment. 

Residents who spoke to The Daily Reality narrated that the man set out at dawn to steal cables believed to be expensive from the transformer.

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) removed the deceased corpse and handed it to the police for further investigation.

However, as of the time of writing this report, the police is yet to comment on the tragedy.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

A man identified as Idris Aminu, has allegedly murdered his 75- years- old stepmother in the Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The incident happened in the afternoon of Monday while the deceased was having her siesta.

According to reports, Aminu clubbed the stepmother, Salamatu Aminu to death with a pestle after failed attempts to poison her.

The accused had accused the deceased of witchcraft and blamed her for his failures in life.

Confirming the incident, the Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, William Ayah said the suspect has been arrested by the command and will be charged to court as soon as possible.

He further disclosed that the old woman was sleeping when her stepson killed her with a pestle.

By Aisar Fagge

There has been great excitement among women in Obajana community, Kogi State when no fewer than 40 women sponsored by Dangote Cement Plc. were graduated from skills acquisition training school on Thursday.

The women learnt fashion and design and were advised to be self-reliant on it.

The Daily Reality gathered that the training was meant to address the biting economic hardship prompted by job scarcity and unemployment in the country through job creation.

Mr JV Gungune, the Plant Director, of Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana, while speaking at the graduation ceremony, said, “even though the job creation scheme aptly fits into the company’s vision and mission, it cannot do it alone, nor can it employ everyone.”

He also pleaded with the beneficiaries to put the skills and equipment provided by the company into proper use, adding that the beneficiaries should count themselves lucky to have been selected and trained.

The women also expressed happiness and gratitude to the President of the Dangote Group, Alh. Aliko Dangote.

The traditional rulers of the various communities commended the company and described the development as a huge intervention.

Also speaking, his Royal Highness, the Olu-Apata, Oba Dr Frederick D.O. Balogun, expressed appreciation and pledged his community’s continuing support for the company.

By Muhammad Sabiu

President Muhammadu Buhari said that he aimed to prevent governors and ministers from naming projects after him, but the Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, defied him.

On Thursday, during a visit to Kogi State, Buhari made this remark during a live broadcast on Arise TV.

New township road networks were opened in Idah, Okene, and all three senatorial districts by Buhari, along with the Reference Hospital in Okene and the Confluence University of Science and Technology at Osara.

Other projects in Lokoja include the Civic Center and Muhammadu Buhari Square, as well as the Ganaja Flyover, Model Science Secondary School, and school.

Buhari was quoted as saying, “I thank the Governor and the people of Kogi state for naming it (Muhammadu Buhari Square and Civic Centre) after me. Here, I have to digress; I attempted to stop governors and ministers from naming projects after me, but the Governor disobeyed me here.”

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Women miners in Nigeria under the auspices of Women in Mining in Nigeria (WIMIN), decry molestation and abuse by male colleagues at mining sites in the country.

The Founder and National president of WIMIN, Janet Adeyemi made the disclosure at Lokoja on Sunday, December 11, 2022 and sought the intervention of the federal government to tackle the menace.

Ms Adeyemi while speaking at a capacity building workshop for artisans and small-scale miners in Lokoja, said the abuse of women at mining sites have become rampant.

She noted that women in mining have become subjects of constant molestation, are often cheated, over-laboured, underpaid, and even raped by male colleagues and staff of the mining industries.

Adeyemi who was represented by the Programme Coordinator of WIMIN, Ms Dolaraine Dennis, said that the opportunities for women in mining are enormous and they include: operators, engineers and quarry fields etc.

Adeyemi claimed that research findings have shown that 73 per cent of assault against women are verbal.

“73 per cent of assaults against women are verbal.”she said

In the remark of the Kogi State Commissioner For Women Affairs, Hajia Fatima Buba, she applauded the organisers for their support in building the capacity of women in the mining sector in the state.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Muhammad Onogwu, the Chief Press Secretary to Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has bagged a law degree from Baze University, Abuja.

Mr Onogwu disclosed his achievement in a Facebook post on Saturday.

He had posted a photo of himself in a convocation gown with the caption “Alhamdulillah🙏🙏🙏LL.B “

While Mr Onogwu did not name the school he bagged a law degree from, the Daily Reality gathered that he is amongst the 504 recent graduates of Baze University Abuja. The institution held its 9th convocation ceremony on Saturday morning.

Baze University Abuja has become the darling institution of many celebrities and politicians who study there for different degree programs.

Senator Dino Melaye and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi are proud alumni of the institution. Amaechi graduated this year, Dino bagged a degree in law from the University in 2021.