By Fortune Eromosele, Abuja

Ahead of the November 11 gubernatorial election in Kogi State, the Arewa Defenders Forum, ADF, has urged the Nigeria Police Force to be at red alert and confront any form of violence before, during and after the elections.

The group in a statement by its Chairman, Abdulfatah Salmonu, lamented over the recent rise of violence in Kogi State and called on all political parties to shelve violence.

The group particularly gave a stern warning to the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and its governorship candidate to resist the urge to instill any form of violence in the state.

They said, “The Arewa Defenders Forum (ADF) has taken stock of events unfolding in Kogi state in the buildup to the coming governorship in the state.

“The embers of the recent violence that resulted in the killing of innocent people as confirmed by the police are worrisome.

“Unprovoked attacks and killings of opposition supporters have resulted from the hate campaigns and propaganda being conducted by perpetrators of violence.

“We are worried also that weeks after the police have accused one of the candidates of being involved in the killing of the supporters and undermining security efforts, yet he remains free.

“We demand swift action from the police to arrest authors of mindless violence and bring them to justice to serve justice to the victims and their families”.