No fewer than eight persons have been killed in a reprisal attack on Abugi, Kuchinda and Mikugi communities in Kupa Kingdom, Lokoja Local Area of Kogi State.
According to eyewitnesses, the attack was triggered by the alleged killing of an unarmed pastoralist by a member of a local vigilante group over suspicion of cattle rustling.
The incident reportedly sparked outrage among suspected herders, who subsequently invaded the affected communities and opened fire on residents.
Reacting to the development, the Kogi State Government condemned the killing of the pastoralist and the subsequent reprisal attack, describing both incidents as “tragic, senseless and unacceptable.”
Kingsley Femi Fanwo, commissioner for Information and Communications, in a statement said that Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo had commiserated with the families of the victims and the entire Kupa Kingdom over the loss of lives, adding that the governor had directed security agencies to immediately take full control of the affected communities, restore normalcy and prevent further escalation of the crisis.
