Kogi: Egbe Boils as Chiefs, Leaders Jailed on Phony Terror Charges

Tension is mounting in Egbe community, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, following the arrest and detention of prominent chiefs, including the Chairman of the Egbe Council of Chiefs, Chief Sunday Alabi, alongside other community leaders, who have been slammed with what sources describe as trumped-up charges of terrorism and conspiracy, remanded at the Koton Karfe Prison until April 9.

The dramatic turn of events has sent shockwaves through the arrest, with residents voicing fears that the Kogi State Government may be orchestrating a sinister plot to sow discord and undermine the unity of the Egbe people, barely days after a largely peaceful protest against the activities of some alleged renegade chiefs blamed for fuelling a four-year-old crisis in the community.

According to reliable sources familiar with the matter, the arrests stem directly from a massive peaceful demonstration staged by over 5,000 Egbe indigenes, who had taken to the streets to denounce the excesses of these renegade chiefs, accused of instigating more than ten frivolous court cases against members of the community over the years, thereby exacerbating community tensions and instability.

The protest, which was meticulously planned and preceded by a formal notification letter to the police and relevant security agencies, proceeded without incident, with law enforcement officers providing adequate cover and even escorting the demonstrators to ensure order was maintained throughout the event, a testament to the community’s commitment to non-violence in seeking redress for their grievances.

However, the atmosphere shifted dramatically in the days following the protest, as the police invited some chiefs, community leaders, and ordinary citizens to Lokoja for routine statements, only to release them with assurances to return home and maintain the peace, lulling them into a false sense of security.

In a twist that sources now attribute to a calculated masterstroke by elements within the State Government, the same individuals were summoned back to Lokoja today, Friday, arraigned before a Magistrate Court on the serious allegations of terrorism and conspiracy, and promptly ordered remanded at the Koton Karfe Prison pending further hearing on April 9, a development that has ignited widespread outrage and heightened fears of political interference aimed at silencing dissent and fracturing the social fabric of Egbe.

Community stakeholder Samuel Agbalagba, speaking on behalf of concerned residents, lambasted the detentions as a deliberate ploy to divide the Egbe people and perpetuate rancour, insisting that the community remains resolute in its resolve to challenge the injustice through legal channels rather than descending into chaos.

As the situation unfolds, calls are growing for intervention from higher authorities, including human rights bodies and the state judiciary, to avert a potential breakdown of law and order in Yagba West, with many wondering if this is yet another chapter in the protracted power struggles plaguing the area.