Stakeholders from across Kogi East Senatorial District have raised fresh concerns over the worsening insecurity in the area, calling on government and security agencies to take immediate steps to end banditry, kidnapping, killings, and recurring herder-farmer clashes.
The concerns were raised during a town hall meeting convened by the Ukomu Igala Organization on 16 May 2026, at Monitec Hotel in Anyigba, Kogi State.
The meeting brought together traditional rulers, community leaders, youth and women groups, security agencies, and representatives of Fulani settlers to deliberate on the growing security challenges affecting communities in the district.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and endorsed by Major General James Alilu Ataguba (rtd) on behalf of the organization, participants described the rising attacks in Omala Local Government Area and parts of Dekina and Bassa LGAs as alarming.
They lamented the loss of lives, destruction of property and farmlands, as well as the displacement of families from their ancestral homes by armed groups suspected to be Fulani militias.
The stakeholders also expressed concern over weak community intelligence systems, poor emergency response mechanisms, and the absence of intervention from agencies such as the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to support victims of attacks.
The meeting noted that the destruction of farmlands, theft of cash crops, and killing of cattle had worsened tensions between farmers and herders in the area.
Stakeholders, however, recalled periods of peaceful coexistence between Fulani settlers and Igala/Bassa communities, citing intermarriages and trade relations that once existed among them.
They condemned criminal elements on both sides, accusing some armed Fulani youths of engaging in violent crimes, while also alleging that some local youths had resorted to cattle killings and reprisals.
As part of the resolutions reached at the meeting, participants declared that criminal activities would no longer be tolerated in Kogi East, regardless of ethnic background.
They resolved to work with security agencies to establish a community-based security structure equipped with dedicated emergency telephone lines for information sharing and distress reporting.
The stakeholders also urged the Kogi State Government and security agencies to increase joint patrols and establish Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in vulnerable communities across the district.
They further demanded impartial investigations into recent attacks and the prosecution of all perpetrators involved in killings and the destruction of property.
The meeting also recommended the creation of joint herder-farmer peace committees at local government and ward levels to prevent disputes from escalating into violence.
In addition, SEMA, NEMA, and humanitarian organizations were urged to provide immediate relief materials to displaced persons and affected communities.
The communiqué reaffirmed the commitment of all parties to peaceful coexistence, dialogue, justice, and collective action against criminality in Kogi East.
