A former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has said that the directive issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the security challenges confronting the state during his recent visit to the state is yet to be acted upon.
President Tinubu had, during his trip to Benue State on June 18 after the Yelewata attack that left more than 100 people dead, asked former governors and traditional rulers to work together with Governor Hyacinth Alia to tackle insecurity.
Speaking on Channels Television during an interview on Monday, Ortom said no meeting has been convened since the president’s visit.
“We have not had any meeting, so maybe we are still waiting if the governor calls to go there, because Benue State belongs to us, and there is no way we can allow this to continue to happen,” he said.
Ortom explained that the Yelewata attack, which drew Tinubu’s attention, hit close to home as the affected area is part of his local government.
“Where this incident took place, in Yelewata, where over 200 people were killed, that is my local government. The mother of my father comes from that Yelewata. So, it is as good as home. It is my place, and we are waiting for the governor, if he calls us, we’ll go there,” he added.
The former governor also spoke about his efforts while in office, saying he did everything possible to collaborate with traditional rulers, security agencies, and local communities to curb attacks.
He said he stood against policies like Ruga and cattle colonies under the Buhari administration, which he described as “camouflage to deceive Nigerians.”
“Each time they brought it, I stood against it. It’s unfortunate they didn’t listen because I gave statistics on what is obtainable in other countries. There is no way cattle rearing and farmers can cohabit. There will be crisis,” he said.
Ortom noted that some of the violence in Benue was driven by foreign elements, claiming that some attackers were from Chad, Niger, Senegal, Mali, and Libya.
“People here collaborated with those foreigners to invade our land and take over. It is a deliberate attempt to wipe out a particular people. That is the truth,” he said.
While praising Tinubu’s response to the Yelewata killings, Ortom said the previous government failed to address the crisis.
“This government, when the Yelewata attack happened, the president went there himself, and he ordered the security agencies to apprehend those people. This did not happen when the former government was there,” he explained.
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