Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, has raised the alarm over rising insecurity in the state, linking it to criminal elements fleeing military operations in the Northeast and Northwest regions of Nigeria.

Speaking in Abuja on Friday during a visit to the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, Ododo stressed that Kogi must not be mistaken as a safe haven for bandits and other violent groups.

“Kogi State is not a fertile land or a free destination for criminals,” the governor declared. “We are dealing with them decisively. They are hearing it, we don’t make noise.”

The governor noted that Kogi’s strategic location—bordering 10 other states including the Federal Capital Territory—makes it susceptible to infiltration.

“A state that borders this number of states will definitely, whether you like it or not, experience one form of insecurity or the other,” he said.

Ododo also highlighted the underuse of the state’s rich mineral and agricultural resources as a contributor to security challenges.

“In Kogi State, we have over 32 mineral deposits in commercial quantity, but they have never worked for our dear state,” he said. “We have arable land that is good for any kind of crops, but it has never been put to use.”

He attributed the recent surge in forest-based criminal activity to pressure from military operations up north.

“The recent influx of criminals, I call them criminals because a normal human being cannot stay in the forest, is a result of the pushback from the Northeast and Northwest,” he added.

Governor Ododo reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting the lives and livelihoods of Kogi residents, urging collective action to address the security situation across the country.