Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ridding the state of criminal elements following the deadly attack on Iluke community in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area.
Governor Ododo made the pledge during a condolence visit to the community after armed bandits invaded the area on June 10, disrupting the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and killing three residents.
Those killed in the attack included the Vice Principal of Government Secondary School, Iluke, Pastor Anufo Owuse, an elderly man, and a young girl who was hit by stray bullets. Contrary to reports circulating in some quarters, no student lost his or her life during the incident.
The attack threw the community into panic as the assailants attempted to abduct residents, including candidates writing their WASSCE examinations.
However, the prompt intervention of the military, local security operatives, vigilantes, and hunters foiled the operation and rescued those who had already been herded into the bush.
Security sources and community leaders disclosed that more than 100 persons could have been kidnapped if not for the swift response and superior firepower of the security forces, which forced the attackers to abandon their mission and flee.
During an on-the-spot assessment of the affected community, Governor Ododo expressed sympathy to the families of the deceased and assured residents that his administration would intensify efforts to safeguard lives and property across the state.
He commended the military, other security agencies, local vigilantes, and hunters for their courage and sacrifice, describing their timely intervention as heroic and instrumental in preventing what could have become one of the worst mass abductions in the state’s history.
The governor assured the people of Iluke and Kogi State at large that those behind the attack would be hunted down and brought to justice, stressing that criminal elements would find no safe haven in the state.
