The Kogi State Government has rejected allegations by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) that funds from the state’s Security Operations Account were diverted, describing the claims as speculative, misleading, and unsupported by any credible evidence.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, said the government was compelled to respond to set the record straight and uphold the truth.
He faulted CISLAC for what he described as a departure from the principles of fairness, diligence, and objectivity, noting that the organization failed to present any investigative report, documentary evidence, or findings from a competent authority to substantiate its allegations.
Fanwo stressed that maintaining security requires substantial and sustained investments in intelligence gathering, logistics, communications infrastructure, surveillance, operational mobility, community engagement, and strategic support for security agencies.
According to him, successive investments by the state government have strengthened Kogi’s security architecture, improved intelligence capabilities, enhanced operational responses, and fostered stronger collaboration among security agencies, contributing to the state’s reputation as one of the safest in the country despite its strategic position linking Northern and Southern Nigeria.
The commissioner also dismissed suggestions that payments from the Security Operations Account to companies and service providers were suspicious, explaining that security interventions often involve logistics firms, equipment suppliers, transport operators, consultants, and maintenance contractors whose services are essential to effective security operations.
“It is irresponsible to equate the existence of financial transactions with evidence of diversion,” he said, insisting that such conclusions can only be reached through proper investigation, verification, and due process.
Fanwo further noted what he described as a contradiction in CISLAC’s publication, pointing out that the organization acknowledged that the allegations remained unproven and that no anti-corruption agency had established wrongdoing against the Kogi State Government.
He suggested that the timing of the publication coincided with increasing political activities ahead of future elections, a period often characterized by attempts to deploy misinformation and manufactured controversies against public institutions and officials.
While refraining from identifying those behind the allegations, the government maintained that some individuals uncomfortable with transparency, fairness, and due process may be seeking to divert attention from the achievements recorded under the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
The Commissioner highlighted improvements in security, infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, education, and investment promotion, insisting that public resources are being prudently deployed to improve citizens’ welfare and strengthen state institutions.
Fanwo said residents have witnessed the impact of government investments in security through improved operational capacity of security agencies, safer communities, increased investor confidence, and growing economic activities across the state.
He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to transparency and accountability, challenging any individual or organization with credible evidence of wrongdoing to present such information to the appropriate law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies for investigation.
The Commissioner also reiterated the Kogi State government’s resolve to continue investing in security, supporting security agencies, and strengthening partnerships aimed at ensuring peace, stability, and sustainable development across Kogi State.
