The Executive Director
Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution in Kogi state, Idris Miliki has called on the Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to investigate killings and shooting of a journalist, Mr. Emmanuel Adeyemi of the Sun newspaper in Lokoja on Monday.
This was contained in a press statement issued on Tuesday which copy was made available to newsmen.
He noted that the continued looting of warehouses and the subsequent shooting that charactrisised Lokoja on Monday is totally condemned.
He added that a situations where armed men suspected to be hudlums moving around the state capital and shooting, is dangerous for peaceful coexistence in our society.
“What was the the rational of keeping the materials meant for releaf for covid-19 and flood victims that have ravage and lives and properties in in kogi state?
“The killing and shooting of Emma Adeyemi, the SUN News Paper correspondence must be investigated and perpetrators brought to book, in the interest of justice.
“The Monday 26 October episode raniforce our called for urgent and immediate reopening of federal Medical Center in Lokoja.
“A situation where such an important medical and one of the best health institution have been closed up to three months and the state government is practically doing nothing is wrong, worrisome and condenmnable in a civilise society. Is it not the people that voted for this government both state and federal that is been subjected to ridicule through the continued closure of federal Medical Center in Lokoja..
“Since the elections of Lokoja /koto federal constituency, the last year governorship election and now shooting of looter in the Lokoja, the invasion of federal Medical Center by armed hudlums, we have witness a pattern of violence that is worrisome and diligent investigations needed to be be carried out by relevant institutions.
“We call on the citizens to stop these unnecessary looting that have that have pervaded our country in the last few weeks,” he noted.
He therefore called on the state and federal government to entrenched good governance rule of law and just for all.
Similarly, the Executive Director
Initiative for Grassroot Advancement in Nigeria (INGRA), Hamza Aliyu has said that the deadly violence and death and looting that has occurred in Lokoja on Sunday 25th and Monday 26th October 2020, has raised once again the concern of well meaning citizens of the State to the call for government to take serious the issue of good governance and transparency and accountability of state resources.
According to him, the #EndSARS nationwide protests has exposed the challenges that has bedeviled our governance process.
“Many citizens especially young people are fast losing confidence in this generation of leaders at the community, religious and political levels. This frustrations and anger has boiled over into criminal activities that have led to deaths, sorrow and blood in the once peaceful State.
It is important that the perception by many citizens of the involvement of amorphous “armed groups” during these looting that took place on Monday is quickly investigated by the Kogi State government, looking at the fact that we are approaching the December 12th 2020 Local Government Elections.
“Such individuals and groups must be brought to justice and efforts put in place to avoid such callous wanton deaths and maiming of our citizens. The heartbreaking death of a physically disabled young man in Lokongoma is condemnable and must be investigated. We must never allow the lives of our people to be taken unconstitutionally.
“We call on the citizens to obey laid down constitutional government laws and orders and desist from criminality of any kind. We must never justify our anger and frustration with our governance process by braking and looting public and private establishments and stealing. We must follow constitutional processes of holding our government accountable.
“Finally we call for all law abiding citizens to condemn the looting and criminality that has led to these destruction and deaths. Lokoja and Kogi State in general needs peace as we move towards the Local Government Elections.
