From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
A Youth Leader in Kogi state, Mallam Shehu Abdullahi, has expressed concerns over alleged arbitrary release of criminals by security agents in the state, saying if not checked, could further compound the alarming insecurity of lives and property in the state.
Abdullahi’s call came on the heels of noticeable conspiracy of some highly-placed persons, believed to be the sponsors of such criminal gang, who ensured that suspected criminal were immediately released from police custody, shortly after their arrest.
Speaking to journalists on the development in Dekina, headquarters of Dekina Local Government Area on Tuesday, Mallam Abdullahi complained that kidnappers have been terrorizing the people of the various communities in the area, but the arrest and release of suspects have hampered efforts at curtailing such criminal act.
He claimed that whenever a major breakthrough was made, the security agencies without any reasonable cause, would release the suspects who wreck more havoc on their targets.
According to the Youth leader, “instead of handling the matter with all the seriousness it deserved, the culprits would be set free and back to business”.
Abdullahi also called on the state government to save the people of Bassa and Dekina Council Areas from the activities of criminals who he said, have turned the communities into a theater of violent attack on the innocent citizens.
The Youth leader warned that unless the issue was properly and transparently handled, the youths will have no alternative than to resort to self help in order to rid their communities of criminal elements.
In the same vein, a group under the aegis of Ukomu Igala, a socio- cultural group with membership from the nine LGAs in Kogi East Senatorial Zones have called on the state to nib the activities of the criminals in the bud before it could snowball into organised security threat to the state.
Recall that recently SARS operatives in collaboration with the local vigilante had a running battle with some kidnappers where their alleged leader was shot and taken to the hospital with bullet wounds, while some of his accomplices were arrested but were instantly released allegedly on the orders of highly placed persons.
