The Kogi State Government has strongly condemned suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for violating a state-imposed ban on public gatherings and rallies.
Despite a clear directive from both the state government and the Kogi Police Command, Akpoti-Uduaghan went ahead with a controversial Sallah homecoming rally in Kogi Central, which sparked heated reactions from state authorities and political figures.
The state government, through a statement from the Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, accused the embattled senator of deliberately inciting violence.
“Her actions have confirmed her status as a security threat to the people of the State,” Fanwo stated, denouncing her as an instigator of disorder. The statement further dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims of a plot to assassinate her as “reckless, malicious, and utterly false.”
Governor Usman Ododo and other political leaders have also rejected Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations, calling them a calculated attempt to manipulate public opinion and stir unrest in Kogi Central.
The government emphasized that the ban on public gatherings was imposed to maintain law and order amidst security concerns, and Akpoti-Uduaghan’s defiance of this order was a direct violation of the law.
“We will not allow any part of the state to go up in flames nor permit the killing of innocent souls by the actions of the suspended Senator,” the statement warned.
The Kogi Police also weighed in, reiterating the security concerns that led to the ban on rallies and calling for compliance with the law.
Meanwhile, human rights groups, such as the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), have condemned the state’s actions, accusing the Kogi Police of political interference.