A week after an attack that led to the killing of about 19 persons, Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello on Thursday met with the leaders of Tawari community, promising to fish out the killers.
The governor, who held a peace meeting at the Government House Lokoja with the paramount rulers and people of the Tawari communities, called for calm and assured them that the government was working hard to restore lasting peace to the area.
According to him, the casualty figure has risen to 29, as more deaths were recorded in other communities within the district.
Bello, who acknowledged the peaceful disposition of the Tawari people, noted that the attack took place when there was no provocation.
He stressed that his administration would leave no stone unturned in unmasking those behind the dastardly acts.
Bello assured the victims of timely distribution of relief materials.
He also said that a committee had been set up to begin the distribution.
He noted that government, on receipt of the distress call, acted proactively by drafting security personnel to secure the communities and to provide palliative measures for the people.
He added that his government would not fold its arms and watch bandits and terrorists unleash mayhem on the people, insisting that government would adopt security measures that would be mobile and effective to deal with any security challenges across the country.
He explained that the same methods that worked in Dekina, Bassa and Omala local government areas, when they were attacked, would be replicated in Tawari to bring lasting solution to insecurity of the area.
Read Also: UPDATED: Supreme Court upholds elections of Okowa, Bello, Ishaku, Ikpeazu
He urged the traditional rulers, youth groups and opinion moulders in communities across the state to join hands with the government to ensure the success of the new security architecture, and rid the state of criminals and people with predatory tendencies.
He directed the youth leaders and the critical stakeholders in the communities to, within 48 hours, furnish his office with the level of damage to individuals for monetary compensation.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Kogi West Political Leaders has visited the community to present relief materials to the bereaved and survivors of the attack.
The group led by a Kogi philanthropist and All Progressives Congress (APC) leader in Kogi West, Elder Benjamin Olowodola, visited the Aguma of Tawari, Alhaji Yusuf Tawari, who received them at his palace, which was also razed.
The Aguma recounted how he narrowly escaped what he described as the most devastating and wicked machinations of yet-to-be identified attackers.
The visibly disturbed Aguma said that only God saved his life for a purpose he was yet to know.
He said that his people, since he was born into the community, had been peaceful, law abiding and very homogenous, but wondered why anyone would want to unleash such terror on them.
Speaking on their mission, the coordinator of the visit and former Kogi West Senatorial candidate, Bode Adeyemi, said they were in the community to mourn with the people and also rebuild the ruins of the community.
Items donated included mattresses, bags of rice, millets, sugar, noodles, salt and detergents.
He enjoined the people to make judicious use of the items so as to assist them in this trying time.
Leave a Reply