Governor Samuel Ortom
Governor Samuel Ortom has disclosed that he narrowly escaped death when
suspected armed herdsmen shot at him in his farm at Adeke along
Makurdi-Naka road. This is just as suspected armed herdsmen reportedly
abducted and killed a member of the state’s Livestock Guard in Ado Local
Government Area, LGA.
The Governor, yesterday in a live radio programme monitored in
Makurdi said he had gone to his farm in the outskirts of Makurdi town
few days ago when armed herdsmen besieged the vicinity and open fire.
According to him, “just last week I was in my farm that is situated
in the outskirts of Makurdi town when armed herdsmen came there and shot
at me.
“They also shot at the vehicle of our Livestock Guards who came
there and shattered it. We had to call the joint military security team,
Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS, who came and saved the situation,” he added.
The Governor lamented that in the influx of armed herdsmen into the
state had become a source of concern and worry and needed to be check
urgently.
He said “We are doing everything possible to arrest the
situation. This people are deliberately coming into the state. And I
have always maintained the armed herdsmen, ISWA, ISIS and Boko Haram are
the same thing and they are out to prosecute the same agenda.
“There is no two ways about that. Even when we went for the North
Central Security meeting l told them the same thing. Miyetti Allah
leadership should also be arrested because majority of all the
kidnappings you see around are carried out by armed herdsmen.
“They are creating a lot of insecurity and hardship for the
people, the federal government must ensure they are arrested and
prosecuted just like we are arresting those involved in open grazing in
Benue.
“The situation has become a big challenge because the farmers in
Benue state are not allowed to have cutlasses but herdsmen are allowed
to carry AK47. It is not correct, we cannot allowed them to get into
Benue and continue to create problems for us.
“I don’t have control of the coercive force, but the military
Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS, has done well by returning relative peace
but we want them to do it more.
“Our Livestock Guards do not have guns to confront the armed
herdsmen which is a big challenge. But we have been working with the
Civil Defence and the trained Agro Rangers who are armed and we will
collaborate with them to also help us ensure that herdsmen occupying our
communities are moved out to allowed the displaced persons return home
in a secured environment.
“Many have asked why we still leave people in the Internally
Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps, but how do I send people home to go and
die in this situation?” He added.