The Kogi Collective Interest Group (KOCIG), a group of indigenes of Kogi State, has issued a statement cautioning the public against a recent protest staged at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters, alleging that it was orchestrated by political jobbers and disgruntled individuals with ulterior motives.
The group, consisting of over one million members across the three senatorial districts of Kogi State, emphasised its commitment to unity, progress, and holding leaders accountable at all levels.
In the statement signed by the chairman, Abdulganiyu Yusuf on Friday, KOCIG discredited the protest, describing the participants as “hungry non-Kogites” and accusing them of engaging in senseless propaganda. The group asserted that the protest was politically motivated, driven by defeated politicians attempting to resurrect baseless corruption allegations against former Governor Yahaya Bello.
Expressing concern about the potential misuse of the EFCC for personal vendettas, KOCIG urged the commission to uphold the rule of law and treat all petitions strictly on their merits, avoiding manipulation by disgruntled politicians.
“This is where the EFCC leadership must be wary of becoming an accidental tool of vendetta in the hands of politicians who are so desperate to get their evil and dark objectives achieved at all costs. The EFCC must be above board and treat all petitions strictly on their merits and not pay attention to political miscreants who are playing to the gallery,” the group stated.
The statement highlighted the infrastructural developments witnessed in Kogi State during Bello’s eight-year administration, citing achievements in education, healthcare, roads, and security.
“Looking at the unprecedented infrastructural developments in Kogi State under the eight-year administration of Alhaji Yahaya Bello, Kogites are forever grateful for the insight and management expertise of the former Governor. With all the legacy projects in education, healthcare, roads, security and so forth, there is nowhere left for any money to be misappropriated. It is public knowledge that an international financial institution like The World Bank gave Kogi State a clean bill of health in the areas of transparency and fiscal accountability more than once under Yahaya Bello,” the statement reads.
Addressing allegations of suppressed activities, KOCIG challenged the protesters to provide concrete proof of their claims in a court of competent jurisdiction.
“In this particular case, we will demand that these imprudent characters show proofs of their reckless allegations against Yahaya Bello to the public or a Court of competent jurisdiction. It is the sole responsibility of who alleges to show indubitable proofs of their allegations and they must be ready to prove that,” they said.
The group pledged to employ legal means to hold those making reckless allegations accountable, emphasising the negative impact of such actions on the image of Kogi State and its people.
