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Tensions are escalating in Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, as community leaders accuse local officials and vigilante operatives of undermining efforts to combat rising insecurity—including fuel smuggling, drug trafficking, and alleged collusion with suspected bandits.
Elder S. K. Oniya, Secretary of the Egbe Central Security Committee, has issued a desperate public appeal following what he describes as a “systematic betrayal” of community-led security initiatives.
In a press briefing and an earlier press statement dated October 13, 2025, Oniya recounted a series of troubling incidents that are similar to a possible internal sabotage within Egbe’s own security architecture.
The crisis came to a head in the early hours of 9th October, when members of the Egbe Mekun Security Squad intercepted eight individuals smuggling fuel in jerrycans through a bush path near Okoa—well before dawn and far from the federal road. The timing and route, Oniya stressed, strongly suggested the fuel may be heading to unknown destination which may be accessed by criminals operating in the forested regions surrounding the town.
This arrest should have been a victory. Just days earlier, on 1st October, Yagba West Local Government Chairman Hon. Tosin Olokun had issued a strict directive banning the sale of petrol, diesel, in jerrycans, citing intelligence that such supplies were sustaining criminal networks.
However, the suspects were released the same day without charge or confiscation of evidence on the orders of Mr. Femi Adeyeye, now Special Adviser on Security to the LGA, according to Oniya. Adeyeye reportedly instructed that only the fuel be seized while the suspects be set free, a move Oniya called “illogical and dangerous.”
“What sense is there in releasing people caught violating a clear LGA law?” Oniya asked. “We are told one of them, Emma Okunran, is connected and that’s why they were let go.”
The situation worsened when, during the same period, two Hausa youths arrested for possessing Indian hemp and tramadol were severely beaten by vigilantes, while two indigenous suspects—sons of a traditional ruler, the Oba of Ilemla-Egbe and a boy attached to a man popularly called doctor’ who were arrested for supplying Indian hemp and tramadol into the forest,. The duo according to Oniya were formally charged and sent to a correctional center by a court.
He however condemned the double standard, noting that the Hausa youths were later bailed with promises to appear in court, but their whereabouts remain uncertain.
Further allegations point to corruption within the vigilante ranks. Oniya claims operatives routinely extort money from fuel transporters—accepting bribes per jerrycan in exchange for safe passage through checkpoints. He specifically have names of key figures suspected to be obstructing peace, alleging they facilitated the release of suspects in exchange for cash.
One case, he said, involved a ₦500,000 bribe—₦400,000 transferred electronically and ₦100,000 paid in cash—documented at the local police station.
Adding to the turmoil, Oniya accused certain traditional chiefs in the area of harboring criminals for personal gain, even defying the authority of the Elegbe of Egbe, the community’s paramount ruler. “These people feed from the crisis,” he lamented. “They disrespect the throne and thrive in chaos.”
Frustration boiled over last Monday when residents staged a peaceful picket outside the vigilante office, carrying placards demanding peace in the area. The protest was disrupted when Ogunleye allegedly threatened demonstrators, accusing them of planning to burn his house.
Oniya emphasised that the Egbe Central Security Committee operates without government funding—relying solely on private contributions—and urged state authorities to intervene. “We are not begging to serve,” he said. “But if our efforts are constantly undermined by those in power, peace will continually be jeopardized.”
He also recounted a heated phone exchange with Chairman Olokun, who reportedly grew angry when confronted with the fuel-smuggling allegations and threatened to arrest Oniya and others. “He said he’s not begging us to do this work,” Oniya recalled. “But we’re doing it for our community’s safety—not for any single individual.”
As insecurity deepens, the people of Egbe are left pleading for help—not from bandits in the bush, but from betrayal within their own walls. “We are prayerful,” Oniya concluded. “But we also need justice. Please, enlighten us. Help us rid our town of these evil men.”
The Kogi State Government and local authorities are yet to issue an official response to the allegations from Oniya and his team.
On 10th September, Egbe town and surrounding communities were thrown into turmoil when armed bandits launched a deadly attack, killing three police officers and two vigilantes. In response, local youths blocked the Ilorin–Lokoja highway for two days to demand government intervention. Kogi State Governor Ahmed Ododo swiftly responded by launching a joint military-security operation to flush out bandits from the area.
However, recent protests and public allegations of collusion between local officials, vigilantes, and criminal elements now threaten to undermine these efforts and jeopardize the prospects for lasting peace.
