Kogi: Killing of woman triggers protest against insecurity in Isanlu community

By Richard Elesho/Kogi

Following a period of unrelenting attack leading to the killing and abduction of innocent citizens by criminal elements, residents of Isanlu, headquarters of Yagba East local government area, Kogi State poured out to the street in protest of the rising insecurity in the area. The protesters gathered in front of the General Hospital on Sunday following the discovery of the death of the remains of Elizabeth Olorunsola, an elderly woman who had been earlier been abductee gunmen.

The sick and elderly woman was abducted from her house in Ilafin village on Saturday night and led to an unknown destination. Three other people were said to have sustained gun injuries during the attack.

The bandits allegedly killed the woman after realising she could not keep up with their speed as they attempted to move her through the forest.

The incident left residents of the community in shock, mourning and furious, forcing them to take to the streets to demand better protection from the government.

The chairman of the local government, Joshua Dare Monday, expressed deep condolences to the affected families, promising to get to the root of the crime.

He described the incident as heartbreaking and vowed that the perpetrators would not go unpunished. He assured residents that the council, in collaboration with security agencies, has intensified efforts to strengthen surveillance and restore calm across the affected communities.

Subsequently, the council reissued strict directives restricting access to forests and farmlands in Ilafin, Odogbe, Iye, Ilotin, and Irunda-Ile communities. The Chairman stated categorically that any individual or group found operating illegally within these restricted areas would henceforth be treated as bandits.

He added a stern warning to collaborators: any insider who acts as an informant to criminal elements will not be spared and will be treated as one of them.

“This directive spares no one — both our sons and outsiders are included. Those using farming as a cover to hide illegal activities in these areas must vacate immediately.

“This is our fatherland, and we must protect it at all costs. Security remains my first primary assignment and top priority. The security architecture of Yagba East is fully activated, and we are working closely with the state government to secure every inch of our land,” the Chairman declared.

He emphasized that only registered and approved miners are permitted to operate within designated mining zones, warning that defaulters will face severe legal consequences.

Yagba Federal constituency has in recent times become a Centre of insecurity. Many people who have been kidnapped in the area are still with their tormentor in unknown destinations.