BBy Yahaya Idris, Lokoja
The Kogi State House of Assembly has called for urgent government intervention following the killing of 12 people in Kupa community, Lokoja Local Government Area, during a violent confrontation involving community vigilantes and a hybrid vigilante group associated with Fulani herders.
The Assembly made the call on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, during plenary after Speaker, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf, who represents Lokoja II State Constituency, raised the matter as an issue of urgent public importance.
According to the Speaker, the violence plunged Kupa into a tense and terrifying situation, leaving several residents injured.
He said those wounded included the Chief Imam of Kupa, Alhaji Gimba Aliyu, who was receiving treatment at a health facility.
How the Kupa Crisis Started
The motion presented by the Speaker said the crisis began in the early hours of Thursday, August 6, following reports of armed men in Eguchidan, Kupa South.
He said subsequent developments led to a confrontation around Abugi, the headquarters of Kupa Kingdom and location of the community’s major Thursday market.
According to the motion, a member of the hybrid vigilante group sustained gunshot injuries during the confrontation and later died.
The Speaker said accounts presented by members of the Kupa Community Vigilante group alleged that the deceased resisted a stop-and-search operation before an exchange of gunfire occurred.
He said the incident subsequently triggered the mobilisation of armed men and retaliatory attacks in different parts of Kupa.
The reported deaths included three people in Eguchidan, six in Emiku and two at Abugi, in addition to the vigilante member who allegedly died from injuries sustained during the initial confrontation.
Assembly Raises Concern Over Vigilante Rivalry
The Speaker expressed concern that groups established to support conventional security agencies had become involved in violent confrontations with one another.
He recalled that the Kogi State Government established the Kogi State Vigilante Service during the administration of former Governor Yahaya Bello, with legislative backing, to complement conventional security agencies in protecting lives and property.
According to him, the security arrangement was structured to reflect different communities, including the involvement of Fulani herders in Kupa.
He, however, warned that the arrangement had degenerated into rivalry.
“Rather than collaboration in fighting crimes, the groups have assumed borderless powers beyond imaginations which has snowballed into unhealthy rivalry within the Vigilante Service in the area such that the supposed hunters of criminals have now become the hunted,” the Speaker said.
Assembly Wants Vigilante Groups Disbanded
The House urged Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to take additional measures to prevent a recurrence of the violence.
Among its resolutions, the Assembly called for the immediate disbandment of existing vigilante structures operating in Kupa and the retrieval of firearms in their possession.
It also urged the immediate deployment of recruited Forest Guards to the community to strengthen surveillance.
The lawmakers further recommended that mature and trusted persons from Kupa who understand the terrain should be considered for recruitment as Forest Guards.
The Assembly also appealed to the Commissioner of Police to deploy additional personnel to the area, alongside the existing directive of the Inspector-General of Police concerning the Abugi Divisional Police Office.
Assembly Seeks End to Hybrid Vigilante Group
In another major resolution, the lawmakers called on the National Security Adviser to urgently disband the hybrid vigilante group of Fulani herders operating in Lokoja Local Government Area.
The House also observed a minute’s silence in honour of those who lost their lives in the violence.
Ododo Commended
The Assembly acknowledged Governor Ododo’s intervention following the outbreak of violence.
According to the Speaker, the governor directed the immediate deployment of personnel from various security agencies to the affected communities after receiving reports of the crisis.
He said the deployment helped restore peace and order.
The Assembly subsequently resolved to write a letter of appreciation and commendation to Governor Ododo for his prompt intervention.
It also commended the Commandant, Army Records, Chari Megumeri Barracks, Lokoja, and the Kogi State Commissioner of Police for responding swiftly to the governor’s directive.
Kupa Has History of Security Crises
The Assembly noted that the latest incident was not the first major security crisis to affect Kupa.
The motion referenced the Ekpan-Abugi invasion of November 2014 and the Gugurugi massacre of January 2015, saying the incidents had lasting socio-economic consequences for residents.
The Speaker warned that repeated violence could escalate into a more devastating crisis if urgent measures were not taken.
The lawmakers stressed the need for stronger professional security operations, improved regulation of community-based security groups and measures capable of rebuilding confidence among residents.