Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue State, states that since taking office in 2015, attacks by Fulani herdsmen on Benue citizens have caused him anguish.
When Ortom visited the survivors of the latest attacks by Fulani herdsmen at the Benue State Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, Makurdi on Sunday, January 22, 2023, he made this statement.
The Governor asserted that the Federal Government was complicit in the sustained attacks on the citizens of Benue by armed Fulani herdsmen, noting that these bandits are not Nigerians and that it would be difficult for outside aggressors to commit such heinous acts without protection from the Federal Government.
He said: “This is my pain, since 2015, I have cried out loud that the Federal Government is complicit to the issues of terrorism raising Fulanis in Niger from Futa Jalon (Senegal), Cameroon, Mauritania and Libya and other parts of the world so that they will come to Nigeria and take it and make it their country.
“One thing that pains me is that these people have not hidden their intentions and they are known. The Federal Government is protecting them. I have called for the arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore several times. I have written to the Presidency. I have written to DSS, I have written to the Police, and yet they are adamant. It is not that these people are not known, they are known,”
Some of the victims included 14 year old Emberga Ukpoor whose hand was cut-off, Terna Ikyaan shot in the abdomen, Kwaghve Terkimbi, 14 with his ear chopped-off, Agber Ikyume, Regina Gbashaor, Eunice Iyua were inflicted with various degrees of injuries while an aged woman, Esther Num was shot at and the bullet penetrated her waist.
May God bless you for standing for your people and against evil in Nigeria Gov. Samuel Ortom