FROM: EMMANUEL ADEYEMI, LOKOJA

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, on Friday morning, extended the 24 hours curfew imposed on Kogi Central Senatorial District comprising of five local government areas in the state indefinitely.

The governor, through one of his media aides was declared by 11:00 pm on an online medium, on Wednesday, the commencement of the 24 hours curfew to be observed the following Thursday which was to last for one day.
But the governor early Friday morning when the curfew was to come to an end announced that the 24 hours curfew would now extend ‘indefinitely’ and the restriction of movement will be total.

No specific reason was however given for the curfew code named “operation lion roar”, but sources say it may not be unconnected with the recent killings of a labour Leader and some people in the area.

The Governor thanked Security agencies for their efforts at ridding Kogi Central of criminals and criminalities. He also thanked the citizens for cooperating with his administration to ensure a safer and better Kogi State.

Meanwhile, mixed reactions have continued to trail the 24-hours indefinite curfew imposed on all the five affected local government areas in the Central Senatorial District of the state.

The affected local government areas are; Adavi, Ajaokuta, Okehi, Okene and Ogori/Magongo.

A prominent politician in the area who does not want his name in print wondered what the people who he said have been ‘thoroughly bashed’ will eat if they are indefinitely restricted in their various homes , saying some who have not taken salaries for 21 months have been deprived again of looking for what to eat.

The politician also said with this total curfew, ‘what happens to the sick, how would they access medicare, what happens to the school children, what happens to the aged and the entire citizens, what would they eat, even in the north east where there is Boko haram, curfew is not totally imposed like this indefinitely’ he said.

A resident of Adavi, Alhaji Bello Omuya said he was shocked when he woke up Thursday to the news of the restriction of movement and more shocked that the curfew had been extended without giving any reason.
A resident of Okene, Abdulrahman Omeiza, said, “We did not get any prior notice of this curfew. We just woke up to it on Tao FM and the social media.”

On its part, the Ebira Youth Congress (EYC) said in a statement issued by its Director of Programme, Comrade Ismaila Muhammed, “We reckon that the government reserves the prerogative to impose curfew when it deems such fit. However, we are worried that this curfew is brought to effect in a manner that leaves the people in confusion, the people deserve to be properly informed of the situation or else, it will be counter productive.
Meanwhile, investigation revealed that there is total compliance to the order.