Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has debunked media reports that he denied killings in the state following attacks on communities by suspected herdsmen, saying he was misquoted in his joint interview with the Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau in Abuja last Tuesday.

Ortom, in a press statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary and a copy made available to The Guardian, said he was responding to a specific question which quoted an earlier report that put the figure of those killed in the crisis last week at over 200.

According to him, though the casualty figure was not 200 in a single incident, as reported, 22 innocent people had been killed during unprovoked attacks in Ukum and Logo local government areas in the most recent attacks.

The governor, who expressed sadness and sympathy with those who lost loved ones, demanded an end to the unwarranted attacks on Benue people, which he said have led to the loss of many lives and displacement of thousands of people, blaming criminal elements for the lingering crisis.

“I had already briefed President Muhammadu Buhari and also met on different occasions with the Chief of Army Staff, the minister of Interior, as well as the Inspector General of Police to find a lasting solution to the security situation in the state,” he disclosed.

While reassuring the people that he remained committed to the task of ensuring that they were free from attacks of any kind, evident in his administration’s support to security agencies to enable them perform their duties.

He restated his optimism that the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Bill initiated by his administration, when passed by the state Assembly, could help in ending frequent clashes between herdsmen and farmers.

The statement further urged the people of Benue and other Nigerians to ignore the reports alleging that he (Ortom) denied attacks and killings in the state.