Kogi Says Security Forces Rescued Kidnap Victims

The Kogi State Government has clarified that it did not negotiate with kidnappers involved in a recent abduction incident, stating that the victims were rescued through a direct security operation.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, disclosed this on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief programme.

Fanwo dismissed claims that ransom was paid or that the abductors voluntarily released the victims. He insisted that security operatives carried out the rescue after engaging the kidnappers in a gun battle.

> “In Kogi State, we don’t negotiate with kidnappers and criminals,” he said. “The government will not bow to any criminal. We have the capacity to deal with them.”

He explained that the rescue operation involved an exchange of gunfire, during which the state recorded two casualties.

> “We regret that in the fire exchange between the kidnappers and our military and security agencies, we lost two people,” he stated.

Fanwo added that criminal groups already know that Kogi State is a hostile territory for their activities.

Reaffirming the government’s stance, he said:

> “We didn’t negotiate with any criminal. We are not going to negotiate with any criminal. We will always deploy our full security architecture to deal with them.”

He also noted that the government is continuously upgrading its security systems to ensure fast responses to threats across the state.