Kogi police releasing criminals on orders of politicians – Youth leader

A youth leader in Kogi State, Mallam Shehu Abdullahi on Wednesday lamented that notorious criminals who were arrested were being arbitrarily released by security agents on orders of politicians.

He said since arrests were made, crimes have lessened in Dekina, Bassa LGs and some parts of Kogi East, warning that the arbitrary release of criminals has returned alarming criminality in the zone.  

The youth  leader called on the state government to save the people of Bassa and Dekina  Council Areas from the activities of criminals who he said have turned  the communities into a theater  of violent attack on the innocent citizens.

The youth leader’s call came on the heels of alleged conspiracy of some politicians, and highly placed persons believed to be the  sponsors of the nefarious activities  who will stop at nothing  to ensure the criminal suspects  were immediately released from police custody, shortly after arrests.

Speaking to journalists on the development  in  Dekina,  headquarters of Dekina local government area, Kogi State on Tuesday, Mallam Shehu Abdullahi complained that kidnappers have been terrorizing the people of the various communities in the area.

He added that whenever  a major breakthrough in arresting them was made , the security Agencies without  thorough investigation, would release the suspects to the streets to possibly wreck more havoc on their targets.

According to the Youth leader, “instead of handling the matter with all the seriousness it deserved, the culprits would be set free and  back to business”.

He called on the Inspector General of Police to interrogate what is happening in Kogi State with regards to the release of criminals.

In the same vein,  a group under the aegis of Ukomu Igala, a socio- cultural group with membership from the nine Local Government Councils in Kogi East,  has called on the state  to  nib the activities of the criminals  in the bud  before it would snowball into an organised security threat to the state.

Recall that recently SARS operatives in collaboration with the local vigilante had a running battle with some kidnappers where their alleged leader was shot and taken  to  the hospital with bullet wounds, while some of his  accomplices were arrested but were instantly released on the order of some highly placed persons.