Governor Yahaya Bello’s government on Saturday pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime to resuscitate the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited amid rising violent crimes.
Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, stated that the company’s site was fast becoming a criminals’ den.
He made the plea in a statement following a series of criminal activities reported in the Ajaokuta local government area.
The most recent crime, noted the commissioner, was the gruesome murder of three police officers and five vigilantes, the kidnapping of three children on Wednesday and the killing of six persons, including two expatriates and two police officers.
“Already, the kidnappers of the three children aged between five years and eight years have called to demand N10 million ransom for their release. We hereby urge the federal government to urgently resuscitate the Ajaokuta Steel Company as some of the abandoned facilities and structures in the town harbour criminal elements,” said the commissioner.
The commissioner added, “Government should do something drastic about the resuscitation of the company to help to keep off criminal elements. Nevertheless, we won’t succumb to the violence of criminals. We have been defeating criminals before, and we will defeat them again. Kogi is a no-go area for criminals.”
According to him, security has been beefed up around the area.
“The company is cooperating with law enforcement agents to unravel the mystery behind Friday’s attack on the expatriates’ convoy in which two of their drivers were also killed,” added the commissioner.
He explained that the Kogi government was working in synergy with security agencies to rescue alive three children kidnapped in Ajaokuta.
“Kogi is known for distinguishing itself in ensuring the security of lives and property of not only the residents but also travellers across the state, which shares borders with nine other states and the Federal Capital Territory. In as much as we activate dynamism in our security architecture and strategy, we recognise the fact that some cowards will sometimes try to undermine our efforts,” he explained.