Biraidu Development Forum (BDF) has petitioned the National Security Adviser (NSA) against plots by some desperate politicians in Kogi to cause havoc ahead of the forthcoming general elections in the Dekina area of the State.
In a letter signed by Sani Onekutu, the group accused a local government chairman in the State of planning to create chaos, maim, and kill innocent people in the Biraidu district.
According to Onekutu, the said Chairman brought some miscreants to Abocho and its environs, like Emewe, Ogbabede, and some other parts of the district, where they are radicalising and inciting youths on how to intimidate and kill innocent people during the forthcoming election.
He alleged that these youths are in possession of dangerous weapons such as AK47s, Pump Action, Grenade, Axes and sharp objects as tools to use against opposition parties.
The open letter reads, “there is no doubt that insecurity is currently our biggest national headache, far more than sluggish economic growth, the action of the local government Chairman is only helping in destabilising our future and creating more insecurity for the district and the entire local government”.
The group said the local government chairman is hiding undercover to create more terrorists and tension in Biraidu before and during the forthcoming election.
Mr Onekwu explained further that the Chairman’s target is to obstruct the coming election in which he perceived that if not by disruption, his party has lost out.
On a regrettable note, Onekutu said, “the youths that are supposed to be our future hope are no longer being trained on professional issues; how to build the country rather they are being armed to terrorise their own people”.
He added, “Their parents are scared of them; the traditional rulers are helpless, and the community leaders are living in fear because these armed Youths in most communities are believed to have the backing of a local government chairman.
“To have firearms in the hands of untrained people could create problems.
“We have learnt that even trained ex-servicemen cannot be entirely trusted with firearms because many of them lend their skills in intercommunal disputes all over the country.
“Just recently, to be specific, on Friday 17th February 2023, in a village called Emewe Opada in Biraidu, over five people sustained gun injury, which among them are Innocent Children of 9 years who only came out to observe the roadshow by one of the candidates contesting for the coming election.
“In the last general election, the same group tormented the communities across Biraidu district with the aid and support of the same local government Chairman.
“We, therefore, request that you immediately call him to order as no life is worth losing for an election,” the statement partly read.
