Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, has defended the state government’s ban on public rallies, insisting that the decision was not targeted at any individual but aimed at maintaining security and public order.
Speaking on Breakfast Central, a News Central program, on Thursday, Fanwo explained that the restriction applied across all three senatorial districts. He cited violent clashes in parts of the state that had resulted in deaths and injuries as the reason for the measure.
Despite the ban imposed by Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan received a grand welcome from a large crowd during her homecoming in Kogi State.
On Monday, Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, reaffirmed the directive, warning that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s planned Sallah homecoming rally in the Kogi Central Senatorial District was in violation of the ban. He urged her to cancel the event.
Security was tightened as roads were blocked by heavily armed police officers, military personnel, and members of the civil defense corps. However, Akpoti-Uduaghan bypassed the restrictions by flying into her Ihima country home in Adavi Local Government Area via helicopter, a move that surprised many.
Fanwo reiterated the government’s concerns, stating that public rallies, whether political or religious, could pose a security risk.
Meanwhile, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was recently suspended from the Senate for six months following her allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The suspension was based on a report from the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, which cited violations of Senate Rules.
