No negotiation with criminal gangs, surrender now – Gov Bello tells criminals

…Vows to sustain onslaught on criminals

…No record of COVID-19 in Kogi, Gov insists

TRACKING___Governor Yahaya Bello has vowed that the current onslaught on criminal elements in Kogi state will be sustained until they are crushed completely, urging them to surrender as there would be no negotiation with criminal gangs in the state.

The governor, who gave the reassurance on Friday while speaking to journalists at the Eid ground in Agasa, Okene Local Government Area of the state, said he will lead security agents in the coming days to smoke out criminals from their hideouts.

Bello said his administration would not rest on its oars until all criminal elements operating along the Lokoja-Abuja as well as Okene-Lokoja highways are crushed.

According to the governor, his administration will continue to deal ruthlessly with criminals and will never negotiate with them under any circumstance.

“The bandits are spilling into the state especially on Abuja-Lokoja highway carrying out attacks on commuters recently.

“We are not going to fold our hands and watch neither thinking of negotiating with any criminal gangs; we know what to do and they are aware of what we can do.

“In the days ahead, I will lead security agents into their hideouts and smoke them out”, he said.

Bello said those who have refused to take the opportunity of the various government empowerment programmes to be self-reliant would not be allowed to unleash terror on innocent citizens.

“The federal and state governments have lofty empowerment programmes for different categories of persons to engage themselves meaningfully.

“Those who want to engage in illicit endeavours such as armed robbery, kidnapping and banditry will be crushed”, he said.

On the recent visit of the NCDC to Kogi State, the governor said the state under his leadership has had a robust partnership with the agency over the years.

He said their coming to Kogi State now that ban on interstates travel has been lifted would afford the Disease Control Agency an opportunity to understudy the state’s success in managing infectious diseases particularly the COVID-19 which he said: “The state is truly yet to record any case.”

He charged the people to continue to adhere to all the safety protocols, ensure that they lived a healthy and hygienic lifestyle while they also key into all the Federal Government’s empowerment and economic programmes.

He urged people of the state to remain law-abiding and engage themselves in productive endeavours.