Kogi East Neighborhood Watch (KENW) has demanded the immediate redeployment of Femi Ojo, Commander, Quick Response Unit Kogi State Police Command, before the gubernatorial election in the state scheduled for 11th November, 2023.
In a statement signed by the Director, Public Communication of KENW, Wing Commander Iye Ayefu Akuh rtd, on Sunday, he called on the Commissioner of Police in Kogi State to protect the lives and properties of the people of Kogi East senatorial district against the Police Officer.
Akuh maintained that intelligence gathered by the group indicated a plan by the Police high ranking officer to deploy some fake police and military men to use military vehicles allegedly stationed in Government House, Lokoja to cause mayhem in Kogi East from Sunday 5th November 2023.
According to the statement, “SP Ojo, the OC Quick Response, is the leader of the illegal outfit earmarked to undertake the exercise.
“The illegal outfit is kitted with police / military uniforms who are to dress and work as if they are real Police from the Kogi State Police Command or men from the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Lokoja.
“SP Ojo Quick Response has been alleged to be working with a known notorious thug taking refuge in Government House as a member of this illegal outfit.
“We make this special request so that no such military vehicles are deployed from Kogi Government House to kill innocent citizens anywhere in the state ahead of the gubernatorial election.
“Kogi Government House is an administrative office and not a military operational base for deployment of military vehicles by Officers of the Police Force”.
KENW called on the authority for an investigation into the activities of the embattled Police Commander.
According to him, SP Ojo has been allegedly known in public in Kogi State to be a political policeman since 2019 when he was used to arrest perceived political opponents of the Governor.
“To further reaffirm this position, last week, he rearrested two men released on bail by the Kogi State High Court, Lokoja with an intention to have the boys eliminated as directed. This was busted by deep and accurate intelligence only for him to turn around and say there was a petition against the men whom he is still keeping in his custody without charging them to court,” the statement added.
All effort to speak with the Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Ovye Aya, proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.
He failed to pick his calls or respond to text messages sent the his phone lines.
Recall that the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) weeks back called on the Inspector General of Police to probe the activities of the Head of Police Quick Response Team (QRU), Femi Ojo, for allegedly aiding the activities of political thugs in Kogi State.
