KAGOTE Unites Ogoni Leaders, Places ₦5 Million Bounty to Rid Ogoniland of Illegal Guns
The President of KAGOTE, Lesi Maol, on Saturday, August 8, 2026, convened an extraordinary meeting of Ogoni leaders in Bori to confront insecurity and chart a new path for peace across the four Ogoni LGAs of Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme.
Held at the Khana Local Government Council Secretariat, the gathering drew political leaders, traditional rulers, clergy, youth representatives and other key stakeholders from across Ogoniland.
In his address, Maol said the meeting was not for politics, but for urgent, collective action on issues threatening Ogoni development.
“All the happenings around Ogoni affect all of us. We said we should take the lead by inviting all the political leaders, traditional leadership, the clergy and critical stakeholders. Everybody that is important in Ogoni is here,” he stated.
He listed insecurity, youth factionalism, land disputes and poor education as major challenges. Maol noted that over 90% of those invited attended, which he described as proof of the leaders’ commitment to finding solutions.
Addressing rising insecurity, including alleged killings linked to herders and other criminal elements, Maol said KAGOTE had already set up a committee that met with Fulani community leaders.
“We formed a committee, and the committee met with the leadership of the Fulani community to find out why, before today, they used to come and graze their cows here and go back peacefully, but now it is entering into death,” he said.
In a major move, KAGOTE announced a ₦5 million reward for credible information leading to the recovery of illegal firearms and the arrest of those using them for violence.
“Any useful information to anyone with any gun that we can arrest, I’ll pay N5 million. It’s time to mop the guns out of Ogoni. We must live peacefully,” Maol declared.
He also urged those with illegal arms to surrender them voluntarily. He promised to personally escort anyone willing to hand over weapons to the Commissioner of Police, and said those ready to drop criminality would be supported with alternative livelihoods.
“Anyone that has got a gun, don’t be afraid. Call me. I will drive personally to you. I’ll put you in my car to the Commissioner of Police. Surrender the gun,” he added. He warned that those who refuse and continue with violence will face the law.
Maol also expressed concern over the proliferation of youth groups and competing claims to represent Ogoni youths. He called for the harmonization of the various bodies into one credible structure that can speak for Ogoni youths.
Former KAGOTE President and Chairman of HYPREP Board of Trustees, Emmanuel Deeyah, commended the current leadership for convening the meeting.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, Magnus Abe, said Ogoni cannot achieve meaningful development amid internal division and political confrontation.
The Bori meeting signals KAGOTE’s push to consolidate Ogoni leadership hierarchies and present a united front in tackling insecurity and driving development in Ogoniland.
