Kogi assembly condemns community killings, seeks disbandment of vigilante groups

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The Kogi State House of Assembly has condemned the gruesome killings in Kupa District of Lokoja Local Government Area, which claimed the lives of no fewer than 12 persons and left several others injured.

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The Assembly also called on the National Security Adviser to urgently disband the hybrid vigilante groups comprising Fulani herders operating in Lokoja Local Government Area and ensure the recovery of arms in their possession.

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The call followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Speaker of the Assembly and member representing Lokoja I State Constituency, Aliyu Yusuf, during plenary on Tuesday.

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Yusuf said the killings resulted from a violent clash between the Kupa Community Vigilante Group and a hybrid vigilante group comprising Fulani herders, adding that the incident had claimed 12 lives, while several others, including the Chief Imam of Kupa, Alhaji Gimba Aliyu, were receiving treatment at various health facilities for gunshot injuries.

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He said insecurity had become a major challenge to the protection of lives and property across the country, with serious consequences for social cohesion, economic development and political stability.

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According to him, the Kogi State Vigilante Service was established by the administration of former Governor Yahaya Bello, with the legislative backing of the Assembly, to complement conventional security agencies in maintaining law and order and tackling emerging security challenges.

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He explained that members of various communities, including Fulani herders, were recruited into the vigilante service and deployed to different locations, including Kupa, as part of efforts to promote inclusive security and strengthen crime prevention.

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“Unfortunately, rather than collaborating to fight crime, the groups have assumed powers beyond their mandate, resulting in unhealthy rivalry within the vigilante service in the area, to the extent that the supposed hunters of criminals have now become the hunted,” Yusuf said.

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The Speaker said that in the early hours of Thursday, August 6, 2026, reports indicated the presence of armed Fulani men in Eguchidan, Kupa South, following an earlier confrontation between members of the Kupa Community Vigilante Group and the hybrid vigilante group around Abugi, headquarters of Kupa Kingdom.

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He said the confrontation reportedly began after a member of the hybrid vigilante group allegedly resisted a stop-and-search order by members of the Kupa Community Vigilante Group and subsequently opened fire on them.

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Yusuf said the ensuing gun battle resulted in injuries that led to the death of the Fulani vigilante member, after which armed men reportedly mobilised to Eguchidan in an alleged reprisal attack.

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He said the violence subsequently resulted in the deaths of three persons in Eguchidan, six in Emiku and two in Abugi, in addition to the Fulani vigilante member, bringing the total number of fatalities to 12.

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The Speaker commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for his prompt response to the crisis, noting that the governor immediately directed the deployment of personnel from various security agencies to the affected communities to restore peace and order.

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He, however, expressed concern that the latest incident was the third major violent episode recorded in Kupa, recalling the Ekpan-Abugi invasion of November 2014 and the Gugurugi massacre of January 2015, which, he said, had devastating effects on the socio-economic lives of residents.

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Yusuf warned that failure to address the growing animosity and alleged misuse of firearms could trigger more devastating violence in the area.

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He appealed to Governor Ododo to urgently disband the existing vigilante structures in Kupa, recover all arms in their possession and deploy recruited forest guards to the area to strengthen security.

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He also urged the government to consider recruiting mature, trusted and community-oriented indigenes of Kupa who are familiar with the terrain as forest guards.

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The Assembly also resolved to commend the Commander, 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Chari Megumeri Barracks, Lokoja, and the Kogi State Commissioner of Police for their swift response to the crisis.

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It further appealed to the Commissioner of Police to deploy additional personnel to the Abugi Divisional Police Office in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police.

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Seconding the motion, the member representing Mopa-Muro State Constituency, Olawumi Jacob, called on the state government to take decisive action against those responsible for the killings.

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“The activities of these miscreants in our forests are getting out of hand. It can no longer be business as usual. We must commend the efforts of the security agencies and the government for taking the fight to these criminals in the forests. The activities of the hybrid vigilante group are causing a lot of havoc and must be stopped,” he said.

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The member representing Lokoja I State Constituency, Bin Ebaiya Shehu Tijjani, also condemned the incident and called for greater collaboration among security agencies to tackle insecurity across the country.

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Similarly, the member representing Igalamela-Odolu State Constituency and Chairman of the House Committee on Security, Major Enefola, described the killings as barbaric and unacceptable.

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“This barbaric killing that took place in Kupa District is unacceptable. Something similar happened in Bassa in the past, but it was resolved following mediation by the House between the aggrieved communities,” he said.

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He urged the Assembly Committee on Security to visit the affected communities for an on-the-spot assessment and engage the aggrieved parties with a view to finding a lasting solution to the crisis.

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The member representing Ajaokuta State Constituency, Abu Onoru-Oiza Jibrin, and Hon. Aliyu Maikudi of Kogi-Koton Karfe State Constituency, aligned themselves with the motion and called for stronger measures to prevent further loss of lives.

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They questioned the activities of the hybrid vigilante groups, stressing that no individual or group had the right to take innocent lives.

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The member representing Yagba West State Constituency, Idowu Ibikunle, alleged that some members of the hybrid Fulani vigilante groups were collaborating with kidnappers terrorising communities in the state.

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Ruling on the matter, the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Comfort Egwaba, who presided over the plenary, called for greater collaboration among security agencies in the fight against insecurity.

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She commended Governor Ododo for his prompt intervention in the Kupa crisis and other recent security incidents in the state.

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“We must thank our Governor, Usman Ododo, for his prompt action in addressing insecurity. Recently, there was a kidnapping incident along the Itobe-Anyigba Road, and through the prompt intervention of the governor, all the kidnapped victims were rescued. The governor also responded swiftly to the Kupa incident.

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“We must also commend all our security agencies for their efforts in securing our lives and property,” she said.

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