The Movement for the Emancipation of Kogi State (MEKSTA) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently declare a state of emergency in Kogi, warning that the state has “slid into anarchy” under Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
In an open letter released on Thursday, the group painted a dire picture of governance in the state, alleging that former governor Yahaya Bello still dictates affairs from Abuja while Ododo functions as a proxy. It further claimed that the Accountant-General of the state, Habibat Oyiza Tijani Onumoko, had emerged as a powerful “third force” in a de facto ruling tripod.
“Today, Kogi State operates an illegal and novel governorship tripod of Ododo, Bello and Onumoko,” the statement said. “Governance and security have been abandoned, while the people are left at the mercy of bandits and criminals.”
MEKSTA alleged that Onumoko, a former council staff member elevated rapidly to Accountant-General in 2024, has usurped political authority in Lokoja, earning nicknames such as Mama Alert and Capacity Mama. The group accused her of embarking on statewide political tours in breach of civil service and electoral laws, describing the roadshows as “extravagant, coercive and reckless.”
The group also warned of mounting insecurity. Within one week, it said, nearly a dozen policemen and vigilantes were killed by armed gangs in Kogi West. It lamented that despite federal allocations of between ₦450 million and ₦600 million to each local government, chairmen were reduced to “stipend takers” of ₦4 million under directives from Government House, Lokoja.
“Kogi’s depth of official insensitivity, financial recklessness, and impunity is dangerously unacceptable,” MEKSTA declared. “Given Kogi’s strategic location — bordering nine states and the FCT — any combustion there could trigger a wider national crisis.”
Comparing the situation to Rivers State where Tinubu declared emergency rule in March, the group argued that Kogi’s case is “far more alarming,” adding that decisive action is required to prevent a “volcanic eruption.”
The statement was jointly signed by nine stakeholders, including Hon. Obafemi Medaiyese (Yagba), Comrade Joseph Mebatonije (Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu), Alhaji Yusuf Kpareke (Lokoja/Kotonkarfe), and representatives from all federal constituencies in the state.