The Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has said that some of the security problems in Kogi are caused by criminals escaping from military attacks in the Northeast and Northwest parts of Nigeria.

He shared this during a visit to the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja on Friday.

Governor Ododo said Kogi shares borders with 10 other states, including Abuja. Because of this, it is easier for criminals to enter the state when they run from other parts of the country.

He made it clear that Kogi is not a safe place for criminals. The state is dealing with them seriously. According to him, “They may enter the state in large numbers, but they leave in smaller numbers or not at all. Once they enter, their phone numbers go silent. We are handling them.”

The governor explained that because the military is fighting criminals hard in the Northeast and Northwest, many of them are now running into Kogi’s forests. But the state government is working hard to stop this from continuing.

He said the increase in criminal activity is directly linked to military pressure in other parts of the country, pushing the criminals into Kogi.

Ododo added that people who choose to live in the forests are usually hiding from the law.

He also pointed out that insecurity is getting worse because Kogi’s rich natural and farm resources are not being used properly.

The governor said, “We have over 32 types of minerals that could help our state, but they have not been used. We also have good farmland, but it is not being used for farming.”

He ended by asking Nigerians to work together with the government to solve the country’s security problems.