The Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, has declared that the state government is maintaining its zero-tolerance stance on negotiating with criminal elements, insisting that Kogi will never bow to bandits under any circumstance.

Fanwo, who appeared on Channels Television on Tuesday morning, stated emphatically that Governor Usman Ododo has made it clear that his administration will not enter into discussions or ransom deals with kidnappers, stressing that Kogi has both the will and capacity to confront criminal networks.

"In Kogi State, we don't negotiate. The governor said he is not going to bow. We have the capacity to bring them out; we have the capacity to deal with these criminals, so we will not negotiate with any one of them," he said.

He acknowledged the recent security incident in which kidnappers engaged military operatives in a gun battle, leading to the death of two civilians.

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Fanwo expressed regret over the loss but maintained that the intensity of the security response sent a strong message to the assailants.

"We regret the fact that during the fire exchange between the kidnappers and the military security forces, we lost two people. But even the criminals knew that Kogi is a no-go area for them," he added.

The commissioner reaffirmed the government's resolve to sustain aggressive security operations, stating that the state will continue to deploy its comprehensive security architecture to neutralise threats and protect residents.

"We didn't negotiate with any criminal; we will not negotiate with any criminal. We are going to deploy all our powers and security architecture to deal with them," Fanwo maintained.