The Kogi State House of Assembly has condemned the recent violence in Kupa District of Lokoja Local Government Area, where at least 12 people were killed and several others sustained gunshot injuries.
The lawmakers also called for the immediate disbandment of hybrid vigilante groups operating in the area, particularly those comprising Fulani herders, and urged the authorities to recover the firearms in their possession.
The Punch reported that the resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance presented by the Speaker of the Assembly and representative of Lokoja I State Constituency, Aliyu Yusuf, during Tuesday’s plenary.
Yusuf said the violence stemmed from a confrontation between the Kupa Community Vigilante Group and a hybrid vigilante group comprising Fulani herders.
He disclosed that the incident left 12 people dead, while several others, including the Chief Imam of Kupa, Alhaji Gimba Aliyu, were receiving treatment for gunshot wounds.
He described insecurity as a major threat to the protection of lives and property in Nigeria, warning that its consequences could undermine social cohesion, economic development and political stability.
According to the Speaker, the Kogi State Vigilante Service was established under the administration of former Governor Yahaya Bello, with the backing of the state legislature, to support conventional security agencies in maintaining law and order.
He explained that the service recruited people from different communities, including Fulani herders, and deployed them to various locations such as Kupa as part of efforts to strengthen community-based security.
However, he said rivalry between the groups had escalated to the point where those originally recruited to fight crime were now involved in violent confrontations.
“Unfortunately, rather than collaborating to fight crime, the groups have assumed powers beyond their mandate, resulting in unhealthy rivalry within the vigilante service in the area, to the extent that the supposed hunters of criminals have now become the hunted,” Yusuf said.
The Speaker said the latest crisis began following reports of armed Fulani men in Eguchidan, Kupa South, in the early hours of Thursday, August 6, 2026.
He said this came after an earlier confrontation around Abugi, the headquarters of Kupa Kingdom, reportedly triggered when a member of the hybrid vigilante group resisted a stop-and-search operation by the Kupa Community Vigilante Group and allegedly opened fire.
According to Yusuf, the ensuing exchange of gunfire left members of both sides injured and resulted in the death of the Fulani vigilante member.
He said armed men subsequently mobilised to Eguchidan in what was described as a reprisal attack, leading to further killings across the district.
Three people were reportedly killed in Eguchidan, six in Emiku and two in Abugi, in addition to the deceased Fulani vigilante member, bringing the total fatalities to 12.
Yusuf commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for his quick intervention, saying the governor ordered the deployment of security personnel to the affected communities to restore peace.
He, however, noted that the latest incident represented the third major violent episode in Kupa, recalling the Ekpan-Abugi invasion in November 2014 and the Gugurugi massacre in January 2015.
He warned that continued hostility and the alleged misuse of firearms could lead to further bloodshed if urgent steps were not taken.
The Speaker consequently urged Governor Ododo to dissolve the existing vigilante structures in Kupa, retrieve their weapons and deploy recruited forest guards to the area.
He also recommended the recruitment of mature, trusted and community-oriented indigenes of Kupa who understand the terrain to serve as forest guards.
The Assembly commended the Commander of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Chari Megumeri Barracks, Lokoja, as well as the Kogi State Commissioner of Police for their response to the crisis.
It further appealed to the Commissioner of Police to strengthen security at the Abugi Divisional Police Office in accordance with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police.
Supporting the motion, the member representing Mopa-Muro State Constituency, Olawumi Jacob, urged the state government to take firm action against those behind the killings.
“The activities of these miscreants in our forests are getting out of hand. It can no longer be business as usual. We must commend the efforts of the security agencies and the government for taking the fight to these criminals in the forests. The activities of the hybrid vigilante group are causing a lot of havoc and must be stopped,” he said.
The lawmaker representing Lokoja I State Constituency, Bin Ebaiya Shehu Tijjani, also denounced the violence and called for closer cooperation among security agencies to address insecurity.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Security and member representing Igalamela-Odolu State Constituency, Major Enefola, described the killings as unacceptable.
“This barbaric killing that took place in Kupa District is unacceptable. Something similar happened in Bassa in the past, but it was resolved following mediation by the House between the aggrieved communities,” he said.
Enefola called on the Assembly’s security committee to visit the affected communities, assess the situation firsthand and engage the parties involved in an effort to achieve a lasting resolution.
Other lawmakers, including the member representing Ajaokuta State Constituency, Abu Onoru-Oiza Jibrin, and Aliyu Maikudi of Kogi-Koton Karfe State Constituency, backed the motion and demanded stronger measures to prevent further deaths.
They questioned the activities of the hybrid vigilante groups, maintaining that no individual or organisation was entitled to kill innocent people.
The member representing Yagba West State Constituency, Idowu Ibikunle, alleged that some members of the hybrid Fulani vigilante groups were working with kidnappers operating in parts of the state.
Ruling on the motion, the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Comfort Egwaba, who presided over the sitting, urged security agencies to intensify collaboration in tackling insecurity.
She praised Governor Ododo for his response to the Kupa crisis and other recent security challenges in the state.
“We must thank our Governor, Usman Ododo, for his prompt action in addressing insecurity. Recently, there was a kidnapping incident along the Itobe-Anyigba Road, and through the prompt intervention of the governor, all the kidnapped victims were rescued. The governor also responded swiftly to the Kupa incident.
“We must also commend all our security agencies for their efforts in securing our lives and property,” she said.
