Bandits Form Parallel Rule in Kogi, Collect Taxes from Farmers, Fishermen, Group Cries Out

Disturbing reports from Kogi State reveal that bandits have established a parallel government in certain areas, subjecting farmers and fishermen to extortion under the guise of taxation. The Uk’Omu Igala Organization, representing the diaspora Igala social-cultural group, issued a Save Our Soul (SOS) plea to President Bola Tinubu, highlighting the persistent attacks in Dekina and Omala Local Government areas.

According to a statement signed by National Leader Elder David Abutu and National Director of Mobilization Suleiman Akpa, these assailants, operating under the guise of herders, have caused havoc by killing farmers, destroying farmlands, and displacing thousands of residents within the last month.

The group decried the lack of adequate protection, stating, “Our people have no weapons to fight these stranger Fulani groups who are armed to the teeth. They have made Igalaland hell on earth for many peasant farmers whose only means of livelihood is farming.”

Most alarming is the revelation that these bandits are not only perpetrating violence but have also established a system of taxation, collecting fees from farmers and fishermen before permitting them to access their own lands and ponds for fishing.

Uk’Omu Igala accused the Kogi State Government of neglecting the plight of the affected communities and alleged an agreement between the government and the perpetrators, emphasizing the people’s rejection of such a deal. The group called for urgent intervention from the Federal Government to deploy security forces to expel the assailants from Omala and Dekina LGAs.

The statement also criticized Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo’s purported agreement with the killers, asserting, “No government hands its people to killers, but that is what Kogi State Government has done.” The plea concluded with a call on President Tinubu to send military assistance to safeguard the peace-loving people of Kogi East and provide immediate relief to the displaced residents.