Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state has stated that Nigeria will become safe only when politicians stop using thugs for elections.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday December 23, Bello alleged that political thuggery was the norm in Kogi before he came into power but he has continously refused to play that kind of dangerous or unnecessary politics.
The North-Central state Governor also averred that he has dealt with criminals irrespective of political affiliations by using the laws passed by the Kogi State House of Assembly and the existing security architecture.
He said;
“When I came on board, I inherited a state that was largely divided along several lines. For you to aspire to be anything politically in Kogi State then, you must have what we call ‘boys’ or thugs or touts and then use it to intimidate people during political dispensations.
“Once the political exercise is over, the so-called boys or thugs or foot soldiers would be abandoned and then left to themselves and by that, they breed into something else or a hydra-headed monster that you will not be able to curb at the end of the day. There are several history and intelligence to that across the country.
“But I refused to play that kind of dangerous or unnecessary politics when I came on board. My ascension to office is known to everybody in the world. I chose my path immediately and decided to deal with criminals irrespective of political affiliations by using the laws passed by the Kogi State House of Assembly and the existing security architecture.”