The Nigeria Police Force has placed security agencies in Kogi State on high alert after intelligence indicated a mass movement of bandits into parts of Kogi East, SaharaReporters has learned.
An internal police wireless message obtained on Saturday by SaharaReporters and issued by the State Intelligence Department (SID) in Lokoja said a large number of armed bandits fleeing ongoing military operations in Kwara and Niger states have migrated into forested areas around Bassa and the Anyigba/Ochaja axis.
The intelligence reportedly said some of the bandits were dressed in military uniforms and were heavily armed with AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons. The memo identified several high-risk targets, including Ochaja Boys and Girls Secondary Schools, Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, banks across Kogi East, police stations and worship centres.
The classified communication warned the bandits may attempt coordinated assaults on critical public institutions and security facilities. It urged local commanders to take immediate preventative measures. An edited excerpt of the wireless message read in part:
“The influx of bandits to Kogi East senatorial district: intelligence available at the department’s disposal revealed that a large number of bandits have migrated into forests within Bassa and Anyigba/Ochaja axes due to the ongoing onslaught on them by security operatives in Kwara/Niger states. Source disclosed that the hoodlums’ main targets are public places such as Ochaja Boys/Girls Secondary Schools, Prince Abubakar Audu University Anyigba, banks, police stations and worship centres across Kogi East. It is further revealed that the hoodlums, who are in military uniforms, are well armed with sophisticated weapons such as AK-47/military rifles.”
According to the memo, the SID recommended urgent security measures, including:
• Immediate briefing of all Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in Anyigba, Bassa, Dekina and Egume;
• Deployment of additional Quick Response Unit (QRU) and Police Mobile Force (PMF) personnel to vulnerable locations;
• Intensified stop-and-search operations along major roads in the senatorial district;
• Heightened patrols, surveillance and intelligence gathering across affected communities;
• Fortification of police stations within the threatened axis to prevent surprise attacks.
The wireless signal was signed off to senior officers in Lokoja, urging sustained surveillance and intelligence operations.
Separately, SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Tosin Adeola Ajayi, met President Bola Tinubu on Friday night to provide an update on the nation’s security situation. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed the closed-door briefing at the Presidential Villa, saying the DSS boss presented a comprehensive assessment of current security challenges and ongoing counter-measures.
On Friday, the federal government acknowledged the scale of killings across the country while saying it was taking “significant steps” to address security challenges. Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris, speaking on Channels Television, said: “Yes, we have people being killed, no doubt about that, and the government is not shying away or denying this.”
SaharaReporters contacted police and state security sources for comment but had not received an immediate response at the time of publication.
