Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State in a veiled allegation suggested that President Muhammadu Buhari-led government was giving a tacit supports to Fulani herdsmen killing people of Benue by not arresting the perpetrators and their sponsors.
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The governor made this allegation in multiple media interview he granted following New Year and Thursday’s attacks of Benue communities by suspected herdsmen that culminated in the death of 59 persons, all Benue indigenes.
In the veiled accusation, Gov. Ortom revealed all his futile efforts to get the presidency to bring the perpetrators of the vile act to book.
He said, “Let me be frank. The Federal Government has not done enough. When this incidence started with the threat from the president and secretary of Miyetti Allah, Kauta Hore, who addressed a press conference and issued threats that they will do everything possible to frustrate the Benue State Government from implementing the anti-open grazing law, we quickly drew the attention of the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Services, DSS, and even the office of the National Security Adviser.
“The leadership of Miyetti Allah called the law names; that it was draconian and had no place in the 21st century. We saw that as a threat to our existence and in June 2016, we reported to the then acting president (Prof. Yemi Osinbajo) and to our surprise, these people were not apprehended.
“When they saw that no one was going to apprehend them, they went further to issue more threats. In October 2016, we reminded the IGP, the DSS and the NSA of the potential violence that we faced in Benue State as a result of the threat from the Miyetti Allah. We, specifically, demanded that the two officers of the Miyetti Allah, the secretary and the president, be arrested, but unfortunately, they were not arrested. I do not know why the Federal Government has abandoned us. If they had acted that time, we would not have gotten to where we are today.”
