The Kogi State Government has ordered the Dekina Local Government Council, Dekina Traditional Council, security heads, and other stakeholders in Kogi East to collaborate to identify and apprehend the vandals who stole valuable broadcasting equipment from the Kogi State Broadcasting Corporation, Ochaja.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, made this demand at a stakeholders’ meeting in Anyigba on Monday. He vowed that the government would take all necessary measures to apprehend the perpetrators and prevent future occurrences.
Fanwo expressed disappointment at the repeated vandalism of the station, which is the second time it has been targeted in a year. He emphasized that such actions are self-destructive and detrimental to the state’s reputation.
The commissioner assured that the government will not close down the station and will work to revamp and restore it to normal operations. He also praised Governor Usman Ododo’s commitment to ensuring the station’s reopening.
Fanwo urged security agencies to intensify their efforts to identify the perpetrators and appealed to royal fathers to show more concern about security in their domains. He acknowledged that criminals often live in communities and rely on them for support.
The commissioner assured that the government would continue to support local authorities in delivering good governance to the people. He also commended the Dekina Council Chairman, John Ikani, for his commitment to security in the local government area.
The Ejeh of Dekina and Chairman of Dekina Local Government Traditional Council, Alhaji Usman Obaje, expressed gratitude to the governor for his commitment to reopening the station. He pledged that concerted efforts would be made to ensure the security of the station.
Ikani reported that security agencies were on top of the situation and that arrested suspects would soon be charged in court. He assured that his administration had placed security on high priority in the council and had taken measures to prevent future occurrences.
The Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Egume Division, Mr. Baganjiya Charles, confirmed that investigations were ongoing and that some suspects were already providing useful information to the police.
The meeting was attended by various stakeholders, including traditional rulers from Dekina Local Government Area, heads of security agencies in Dekina LGA, and other critical stakeholders.
Earlier, the commissioner and his entourage conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the vandalized station.
