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Gov Bello links insecurity in Nigeria to politicians

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The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello on Wednesday, asked Politicians to stop using thugs and criminals to disrupt electoral processes in the country.

Bello said this while featuring on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday.

According to Bello, Nigeria will be a safe place to live when politicians stop the usage of thugs during elections.

He said, “When politicians begin to stop the use of thugs, touts or some group of criminals, that is when we will begin to have safety and security in our land.”

He added that thugs, who were used and dumped by politicians during elections metamorphosed into “hydra-headed monster” and criminal elements who now terrrorise Nigerians.

Bello said before his re-election in November 16, 2019, political thuggery was the norm in Kogi, further adding that he refused to play that kind of “dangerous or unnecessary politics” when he came on board as governor of the North Central state.

“When I came on board, I inherited a state that was largely divided along several lines. For you to aspire to be anything politically in Kogi State then, you must have what we call ‘boys’ or thugs or touts and then use it to intimidate people during political dispensations.

“Once the political exercise is over, the so-called boys or thugs or foot soldiers would be abandoned and then left to themselves and by that, they breed into something else or a hydra-headed monster that you will not be able to curb at the end of the day. There are several history and intelligence to that across the country.

Read also: Gov Bello advises Nigerian govt against ‘wasting’ N540bn on COVID-19 vaccines

“But I refused to play that kind of dangerous or unnecessary politics when I came on board. My ascension to office is known to everybody in the world. I chose my path immediately and decided to deal with criminals irrespective of political affiliations by using the laws passed by the Kogi State House of Assembly and the existing security architecture,” he stated.

Bello also spoke on the US visa ban during the elections going on across the country, describing it as unjust and unacceptable.

He said, “I won my election free and square. The police, the DSS, the military and all law enforcement agencies have their facts. Don’t listen to the things they peddle out there. When I see those things, I simply laugh and say how I wished they come to Kogi State to see for themselves.

“There was no time in my campaign that any of my followers goes into the destruction of billboards, signposts or installations of the state government, before, during and after the election.”

Ripples had reported that Acheju Abuh, who is the Women Leader for the campaign organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Musa Wada, was burnt alive in her home by suspected thugs during the election.

Speaking on it, Bello assured that the killers of the PDP women leader would be brought to justice.

“Some persons might allude to the unfortunate incident that led to the death of the PDP women leader in one of the local governments. Investigations are still on and I have promised that I am going to prosecute that case to the letter to prove who I am. The information out there are completely false,” he said.

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