Ortom To Benue People: “Defend Yourself From Herdsmen Attack”

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State Tuesday asked people of the state to use all legal means to defend themselves against further attacks from herdsmen, saying the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who ought to protect lives and property was busy playing politics with the issue.

Ortom said the call for the people to defend themselves became necessary because the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris who, should enforce security and safety of the people was playing politics with the unending killings in the state, and becoming the mouthpiece of the murderers of Benue people.

“If you want to hang a dog, you give it a bad name. That is what the Inspector General of Police is doing, he is the mouthpiece of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore. That is what the man represents. He should, therefore, resign his current position to serve full time in his new job.

“So bad, they plant weapons on people and take their pictures and claim they are Benue Livestock Guards. Those people are not members of our Livestock Guard. It is just a planned thing.

“There are threats, even on my life, it is on record that I reported to the Police and those people responsible have not been arrested. “People say they are going to kill the governor. Is that not grievous enough to arrest the people concerned? “Miyetti came out and owned up and threatened that bloodshed will continue in Benue.

Is it not enough evidence for the Inspector-General of Police to arrest one person out of the group? “Fulani militia have come out in video to display the kind of weapons that they have and everyone has seen it; that is also not enough for the IGP to arrest these people. “But he chose to declare that we have militia in Benue State.

If we have militia in the state, will the herdsmen come and kill our people the way they did and are currently doing? “It is because we are law- abiding. But you need to listen and hear the opinion of the people of the state on the matter.

“I think the people should have the right to defend themselves and not make themselves easy prey to be killed in their homes.