Former Federal Lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye has called on the Kogi State Government to take urgent responsibility following the deaths of three residents of Ayetoro-Kiri in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area, who were among 37 people abducted from an ECWA church on December 14, 2025.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, the former lawmaker described the situation as a grave failure of state and federal authorities.
He said the Okun people, who are taxpayers, would not remain silent if the killings and abductions continue.
“The Kogi State Government must take responsibility. The death of three Ayetoro-Kiri indigenes will and should be taken seriously. There are no decisive and pragmatic approaches from state and federal governments,” Melaye wrote.
He warned that citizens would mobilise in protest if the authorities failed to act. “We as Okun people are taxpayers and should not be abandoned.
“We will organise the kind of protest that police cannot stop if the stealing and killing of our people continue,” he said.
The former senator also demanded that the government act immediately to rescue those still in captivity. “We want to see deliberate, organised, and working efforts to secure and recover our people. Enough is enough,” he added.
The deaths were confirmed on Saturday by the community spokesperson, David Ampitan, who described the development as part of a long-running security crisis in the area.
According to him, following a ransom payment, only seven of the abducted victims were released. It was sated that the victims were found dead on arrival at medical facilities, while four others are in critical condition. About 30 people remain in captivity, their fate unknown.
Ampitan further criticised the government’s response to peaceful protests by community members demanding the return of their loved ones.
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