MAKURDI—GOVERNOR Samuel Ortom of Benue
State said yesterday that only five of the 23
Local Government Areas of the state were free
from attacks by herdsmen.
Ortom stated this during his first official
interaction with newsmen since he returned
from his vacation from the People’s Republic of
China two days ago.
He regretted the continued onslaught against
the state by killer- herdsmen and called for
vigilance from the people.
Ortom
He, however, assured that President
Muhammadu Buhari, was working round the
clock with his security chiefs to end the
attacks.
According to him, the Chief of Army Staff,
COAS, would soon visit the state to address
some of the challenges and assured that “very
soon they would become a thing of the past”.
He said the transfer of his security aides was
also cancelled and explained that all political
leaders in the country had the right to chose
their security details.
Ortom also condemned the burning of over 300
houses by the Nigerian Army in Naka as well
as the killing of a soldier by hoodlums in the
area.
He said neither the killing of the soldier nor the
arson that followed the killing could be justified
in law.
He, however, disclosed that the five suspects
linked to the soldier’s death were handed over
to the police and wondered why the soldiers
still went ahead to burn houses.
Ortom said the arrested people were nabbed by
the Gwer West Council chairman and traditional
rulers.
According to him, the action of the council
chairman and traditional rulers underscored
their disgust at the unlawful behavior of killing
the soldier by taking the laws into their hands.
“This is a clear demonstration that they were
not in support of the killing of the soldier,” he
said.
The governor said he had reported the invasion
of Naka town by soldiers to the Army chief ,
who promised to deal decisively with any Army
personnel found culpable.
He disclosed that until the report of the COAS
was out and the outcome made public, the
state government would have nothing to do.
He warned against reprisals no matter the level
of provocation.
“Reprisal of any kind will not be accepted by
my government and blood shed should not take
place in the state no matter the situation.
“When you allow lawlessness to prevail, you are
calling for anarchy and when anarchy is
allowed to prevail it will unleash a lot of havoc
in the society,” he said.
He promised not to interfere in the prosecution
of his Livestock Guards Commander, Alhaji
Aliyu Tershaku, who is under military detention
for acts connected to the Boko Haram terror
group, as well as recent killings in the state.
“I have never intervened in the arrest and
prosecution of any of my appointees, who is
suspected to have committed murder and
Tershaku’s case will not be different. I will
allow law enforcement agencies to do their
work,” he said.
Reviewed by Engr El Joachim Wayne
on
May 01, 2018
Rating:
