By Muhammad Mamman
Authorities in Nigeria’s Kogi State have ordered the demolition of Sambell, a settlement in Idoji, Okene Local Government Area, following intelligence reports linking the area to criminal activities.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo approved the action after security agencies reportedly identified the community as a hideout used by criminals to plan and carry out attacks across parts of the state.
State officials said the decision was taken as part of broader efforts to restore security and dismantle networks believed to be fuelling crime in Kogi, particularly in the central senatorial district.
According to government sources, the operation is intelligence-driven and aimed at denying criminal groups safe havens from which they operate. The demolition, they added, is intended to send a strong signal that the state will not tolerate the use of communities as bases for unlawful activities.
Residents of the affected area were yet to publicly react, while details on possible humanitarian measures or resettlement plans for displaced persons had not been immediately disclosed.
Kogi State has in recent months stepped up security operations in response to concerns over banditry, robbery and other violent crimes, with the government pledging closer collaboration with security agencies to safeguard lives and property.
The state government says further actions will be guided by intelligence assessments as it continues its campaign against criminal elements.
