Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has told Dino Melaye, the senator representing Kogi west, that he “can’t use violence to revive his drowning political career”.
In a statement by Petra Onyegbule, his spokesperson, the governor also blamed Melaye for the death of a protester in the state.
The invaders were said to be in possession of dangerous arms.
A student of the polytechnic simply identified as Saka Seidu and one other person were said to have been shot dead while two operatives of the Dapartment of State Service (DSS) attached to Melaye sustained gunshot injuries.
“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,” Bello said in a statement.
“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.