Governor Yahaya Bello warns Kogi senator

Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello has issued a stern warning to Senator Dino Melaye in light of fresh accusations of assassination from the senator on Monday.

The senator, representing Kogi West senatorial district, had been speaking to supporters at a rally in front of Kogi State Polytechnic, when the violence that reportedly resulted in the death of a supporter, broke out.

Melaye took to his social media handles on Twitter and Instagram to accuse the governor of trying to get rid of him with politically-sponsored thugs.

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The governor has replied through his spokesperson, Petra Onyegbule in a statement.

"The governor sincerely regrets the unfortunate incident and calls on the people, youth and students of Kogi to remain calm, law-abiding and refrain from taking laws into their hands in the face of imminent threat to their life and security, whilst assuring them of continued safety and maintenance of security in the state," the statement read.

"He is appalled that despite his commitment towards ensuring safety and security for the indigenes and inhabitants of the state and endeavour to rid the state of insecurity and political thuggery, the embattled senator remains hell-bent on causing mayhem in the state in a bid to save his drowning political career.

"He hereby reiterates his firm commitment to ensuring continuous security and safety of lives and properties in the state as he vows not to relent in his administration’s lofty strides in securing the life of every inhabitant in the state.

"The governor calls on young people to desist from being readily available as cheap tools to malicious politicians’ devilish use and manipulation. He reiterated that their lives are precious and should not be sacrificed on the altar of any selfish politician’s political expediency.

"He called on the authorities to expedite action on the petition to ensure there is no repeat of today’s unfortunate incident."