INTERVIEW: How Kogi Central Residents Defy Gunshots to Welcome Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

Residents of Kogi Central displayed remarkable resilience and unwavering determination as they defied a night of gunfire and intimidation to welcome Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan during her homecoming event.

Despite reports of gunshots fired throughout the night to deter people from attending, the community turned out in large numbers, showing their support for the senator.

In an exclusive interview with Arise News, Abdulrazak Mamman, the spokesperson for Say No to Violence in Ebira Land, revealed that the gunfire began around 11 p.m. on Monday and continued until 4 a.m. the following morning.

Mamman suggested that the violence was a deliberate attempt by some individuals to instill fear and prevent people from attending the event.

“The gunshots were meant to scare people from coming out, but the residents of Kogi Central remained resilient,” Mamman stated. “The people know what they want, and no amount of intimidation was going to stop them.”

Mamman further alleged that the gunfire and fear-mongering were part of a larger plot to maintain the political dominance of certain individuals in the region.

He claimed that some of these individuals were falsely claiming popularity while using violence and intimidation as tactics to hold onto power.

“The night of violence was orchestrated to suppress the will of the people,” Mamman continued.

“If the government had allowed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to freely hold her event, it would have been a clear referendum for the world to see how unpopular the status quo truly is.”

Despite the fear and threats, the people of Kogi Central remained resolute in their support for the senator.

Mamman’s statements highlighted the stark contrast between the tactics used by those in power and the unwavering determination of the people to express their political preferences freely, without fear of violence or intimidation.

In his words;

“There were gunshots from 11 pm on Monday in Kogi Central all through the Night to scare people from coming out, till 4 am but people were determined, resilience. People know what they want. Some of them have been going to the Villa to lie that they are popular. If they’d have allowed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan freely to come, yesterday would have been a referendum for the world to see how unpopular those status quo who claim to be what they’re not.”