Leave Benue to avoid reprisal attack, Ortom tells killer herdsmen

Gov offers N5m for information on kidnapped priest

Perturbed by the recurring attacks on farmers in Benue State by suspected Fulani herdsmen, the state governor, Samuel Ortom, has asked them to vacate the state to avoid reprisal attack from the people.

Ortom’s said this yesterday while answering questions from journalists on the attack by herdsmen on Agwabi village in Binev council ward of Buruku local council last weekend where about 10 persons were reportedly killed.

Ortom, speaking in an emotion-laden voice, stated that the state is under siege, stressing that the herdsmen have virtually taken over all the lands in the state. He said it is time to stop the daily killings of his people.

“It is a bad situation now, everyday you hear my people are being killed, maimed, and raped by these mercenaries; they do not have respect for rule of law or regard for security personnel.

“These are wicked mercenaries under the guise of herdsmen attacking us and taking over our farmlands. I have said it several times that we do not have land for grazing in the state, let them move out of the state,” he maintained.

According to the governor: “There is a limit to which I can appeal to my people to restrain themselves from reprisal attack, if all of them are killed then I will be the next target. The problem is that if you push them away from one point they move to another point and their aim is to kill, destroy their farmlands and take over the lands.”

When answering questions on the allegation by herders that youths in the state are rustling their cows, Ortom debunked the claim, saying: “It is the criminal elements among the herdsmen themselves that always go and steal their brother’s cows.” He, however, wondered if rustling of cows was commensurate with human life.

Meanwhile, Governor Ortom has offered to pay N5 million for information on the whereabouts of Very Reverend Father John Adeyi, the Vicar General of Otukpo Catholic Diocese who was abducted recently.

Ortom, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and ICT, Mr. Tahav Agerzua, said it was regrettable that one month after the unfortunate incident, security agents were yet to apprehend the culprits and rescue the priest.

He said any person or group who offers such information would be paid N5 million as reward.

He said security agents have acted on previous information and combed several places without positive results, hence the imperative of making the offer.

Also in the statement, the governor expressed sympathy with the family of the late General Gabriel Kpamber (rtd) who lost his life in a fatal motor accident at the weekend on Makurdi-Gboko road.