The Kogi State Government has exposed a troubling network of individuals and businesses allegedly providing logistical support to kidnappers operating in parts of the state.
Areas most affected include Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu, Yagba East, and Yagba West Local Government Areas, according to a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo.
The findings, made public in Lokoja on Sunday, followed weeks of joint security operations targeting criminal hideouts. Fanwo revealed that some bread vendors and sachet water producers were supplying essential goods to kidnappers camping in remote forest locations. These supplies were reportedly transported by commercial motorcyclists acting as couriers.
Petrol stations were also implicated in the report for selling fuel in jerrycans, which were smuggled into the forest to power the kidnappers’ operations. Fanwo further disclosed that some wood merchants had been trading food with criminal groups in exchange for protection, reinforcing suspicions of deep-rooted collaboration with violent elements.
“These findings will form the basis for strong government action,” Fanwo said. “Anyone—whether a vendor, fuel station operator, or land seller—who is found to have supported these criminals will be brought to justice. There will be no exceptions.”
The state government also announced that investigations are underway into allegations that some traditional leaders and youths had sold land to kidnappers. These lands are suspected to have been used to establish makeshift detention camps for abducted individuals.
The crackdown was prompted by several high-profile security breaches, including the abduction and killing of a retired Nigerian Army officer from Odo-Ape and the kidnapping of a well-known farmer in Ponyan, Yagba East. Both incidents, among others, fueled a broader investigation into the sources of support enabling such attacks.
One of the key revelations came from the case of the late Samson Enietan, identified as an informant who played a role in the Odo-Ape abduction. His sudden death, initially ruled a suicide, is now suspected by the government to be the result of a cover-up by accomplices trying to conceal a larger criminal network.
Fanwo noted that the kidnapping of the Ponyan farmer uncovered further evidence of local collaboration, with several residents identified as informants. He lamented, “It is deeply painful that members of our own communities are complicit in such harmful acts.”
Among the suspects currently in custody is Babatunde Aledare from Ayetoro Kiri in Kabba/Bunu, who reportedly confessed to being part of a kidnapping syndicate. His statement has led to further arrests and helped uncover more internal collaborators within the state.
The state government reiterated its commitment to restoring security and peace under Governor Ahmed Ododo’s directive. Residents were urged to report suspicious activities, with assurances of protection.
Fanwo concluded by appreciating the support of President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, and other security heads, stressing that no effort will be spared in dismantling the criminal infrastructure threatening Kogi’s stability.
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