By: Oliseama Okwuchukwu
The Kogi State Presidential Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP-PCCO) said on Sunday night that it has uncovered “a grand plan of the 12 man killer squad of the governor Yahaya Adoza Bello and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to give organised bloodshed a new meaning.”
“The council is compelled to believe the various sources of intelligence within government circles without any iota of doubt that plans have been finalised to roll out an operation “blood on the mountain” in Kogi State starting from the 23rd of January 2019,” said a statement signed by the Head, Media and Publicity, Usman Austin Okai.
According to the statement, “It is in consideration of the facts in our possession that we are constrained to submit that unless outgoing governor, Yahaya Bello is called to order, cautioned and reprimanded by all lovers of democracy, the 2019 elections in Kogi State will trigger a chain of events which will cause an inferno that will consume at least 1,729 lives across the state. We remind the world that less than 4 days after our battle cry on the proliferation of weapons in the state and unauthorized possession of heavy arms by persons directly linked to the state cabinet, an execution ceremony held in Okene where in one night, at least 3 members of the opposition were snatched from their beds, paraded before their family members who were compelled to watch as they were sat naked on bare grounds and shot in either the chest, head or groin at least 3 times each by thugs loyal to the Kogi State Governor.
“Those who seek evidence of this should visit Inoziomi, Obehira-Egba and Obeiba.
“We also remind the world that outgoing Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello was caught on tape boasting of a capacity to authorise the death of any individual opposed to the APC winning the coming elections.
“It is our belief that since the sinking Kogi State Governor like His adopted father President Muhammadu Buhari has failed on all indices with which governance and leadership are measured, extreme violence is a last resort as means to guarantee a positive outcome in view of the coming elections.
“The council therefore alerts Nigerians that as at now, over 3,000 assorted automatic weapons have been acquired by the Governor and distributed to different locations across the state.
“In Kogi Central the homes of the current Commissioner for Water Resources and His Local Government affairs counterpart double as arms depots where raw acid, AK47 rifles, British pump action rifles, night vision googles, IEDs and an unknown quantity of enriched uranium are currently stored.
“What this means is that a mini factory producing nuclear weapons of mass destruction currently exists on Nigerian soil.
“We also note that the sole administrator of Okehi LGA has in His residence 3 bales of complete military camouflage comprising uniforms for the Nigeria Army and Navy. We say this on record and openly challenge the DSS and directorate of military intelligence to clear themselves of complicity by conducting a televised raid on the location.
“It is for the records that it must be clearly stated that Ogugu community in Olamaboro LGA, Kogi East is the war theatre command centre from where Mr. Edward Onoja; who doubles as chief of staff, government house, Lokoja holds court vetting a list of individuals including Moslem clerics, youth leaders and community leaders who must be decimated before February 16th.
“As a matter of fact, we are aware that an emergency session was summoned by Mr. Onoja earlier this week wherein clear orders were handed to selected members of cabinet, local government sole administrators and senior special assistants to the governor to the effect that they must work together with well trained and armed thugs in Ayingba, Ankpa, Kabba, Ijumu, Okehi, Ajaokuta, Ejule and Idah.
“Similarly, last week in Ayingba, hardliners in the APC held a closed door session on how destruction of campaign materials of the PDP will be destroyed. The litmus test was An invasion of the home of Capt. Joe Agada in Ogugu to disrupt a party meeting, the destruction of campaign billboards of Hon. Barry Idakwo and disruption of a rally organized by Hon. Benjamin Ikani Okolo.
“Whereas the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council would ordinarily wish that the facts before it is inaccurate, we are concerned that a principal actor in the line-up is a certain candidate of the APC contesting for a seat in the House of Representatives elections.
“This candidate who is a special envoy of the outgoing Kogi State Governor has been roundly indicted and is being investigated by the Nigeria Police for ritual killing and trading in human organs.
“We therefore ask – is the Kogi State government house now a transit point where human parts are sold and purchased?
“What other clue is there to the fact that indeed all is set for large scale violence of an unimaginable magnitude to be unleashed on Kogi State with an aim to instill palpable fear in voters such that for fear of who the next victim may be, they would rather remain indoors on the day of voting?
“Pursuant to the foregoing, we draw the attention of the acting inspector general of Police to the various makeshift militant training camps along the water ways of Lokoja and task Him to adopt a pragmatic approach to Kogi State as means of boosting the confidence of Kogi people in the police force because the current governor had the immediate past I.G. in His pocket.
“We invite the presidency to note that as at the 17th of January 2019, a batch of 703 men passed out of training and are currently incubating in the home of one of the prime actors in the failed assassination of Sen. Dino Melaye and other locations in Kabba and Mopa both in Kogi West.
“We notify the office of the National Security Adviser that the Kogi State government is in touch with some individuals who were before now standing trial for murder and remanded in Koton Karfe prisons from where they were taken out by outgoing governor Yahaya Bello for reasons best known to Him.
“We are aware that not less than 6 persons who until December were standing trial and remanded in Koton Karfe prisons for homicide, gun running and murder are currently lodged in hotels in Lokoja and are walking the streets of Kogi State as free men courtesy the Kogi State government in exchange for the rendition of unknown services during the coming elections.
“The 2019 presidential election is less than 30 days away. We therefore consider it a patriotic obligation to the Nigerian state to call on the world to focus on Kogi State.
“We acknowledge that already Kogi people are looking forward to exercise their rights to vote for a new set of leaders who can steer the affairs of the state in a manner that conforms with civilisation.
“We therefore task the Ag. Inspector General of Police to deploy resources towards taming the tide of violence that is brewing in Kogi State.
“We demand that the policemen providing security to prominent thugs in Kogi State be withdrawn and also demand their immediate arrest because Nigeria cannot afford to have more IDP camps.
“We also demand a round the clock aerial surveillance of all the water ways and boundary communities in Kogi State with proof.
“The will of Kogi people will not be circumvented by a band of executive urchins whose only purpose is to spill blood, maim, kill and enthrone a reign of terror in Kogi State.
“We therefore call on our supporters to be vigilant and escalate to the campaign council any strange movement, activities of strange persons as well as any unusual happening in their immediate environments to assist our ongoing efforts to collate and publish a compendium of actions of the Kogi State government and governor which are capable of destroying the fragile peace of the state and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”