- LG restricts access to forests and farmlands in Ilafin, Odogbe, Iye, Ilotin, and Irunda-Ile communities.
Residents of Isanlu in Yagba East local government area in Kogi state, on Sunday, took to the streets to protest the continued attacks on their communities by kidnappers and bandits.
Many residents gathered in groups, expressing anger over continued attacks and the seeming impunity of criminal elements in the area.
The protest, which took place in front of the General Hospital in Isanlu, followed the brutal killing of a sick, an elderly woman, Mrs Elizabeth Olorunshola, who had been abducted by bandits in Ilafin-Isanlu community on Saturday.
The bandits allegedly killed her after realising she could not keep up with them as they attempted to move her through the forest.
Another victim reportedly sustained gun shot injuries and currently receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
The incident has left the community in shock and mourning.
Chairman of Yagba East Local Government Area, Joshua Dare Monday, expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families.
The Chairman described the incident as heartbreaking and vowed that the perpetrators would not go unpunished. He assured residents that the council, in collaboration with security agencies, has intensified efforts to strengthen surveillance and restore calm across the affected communities.
Subsequently, the council reissued strict directives restricting access to forests and farmlands in Ilafin, Odogbe, Iye, Ilotin, and Irunda-Ile communities. The Chairman stated categorically that any individual or group found operating illegally within these restricted areas would henceforth be treated as bandits.
He added a stern warning to collaborators: any insider who acts as an informant to criminal elements will not be spared and will be treated as one of them.
“This directive spares no one — both our sons and outsiders are included. Those using farming as a cover to hide illegal activities in these areas must vacate immediately.
“This is our fatherland, and we must protect it at all costs. Security remains my first primary assignment and top priority. The security architecture of Yagba East is fully activated, and we are working closely with the state government to secure every inch of our land,” the Chairman declared.
He emphasized that only registered and approved miners are permitted to operate within designated mining zones, warning that defaulters will face severe legal consequences.
