New Telegraph

Ortom weeps as herdsmen attack Benue IDP camp, kill seven, injure scores

…as Benue takes herders’ case to int’l community

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, yesterday, went emotional and wept profusely when he sighted seven corpses of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who were killed by invading armed Fulani militants at the Abagena Camp while many others were injured.

The attackers also proceeded to Iorja, Ukemberagya/ Tswarev ward in Logo Local Government Area of the state and kidnapped a pastor of one of the churches in the area, Pastor Juku, and took him to an unknown destination. This was as the Benue State government, yesterday, took the incessant cases of marauding herdsmen attacks on communities in the state to the international community, seeking an end to the carnage and providing relief and support to the people affected. Head of humanitarian agency and Executive Secretary of the state Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Dr. Emmanuel Shior, said the gesture became inevitable because of the huge task resting on the shoulders of the state government on how to manage the crisis. However, reports from Makurdi, the state capital, yesterday said suspected Fulani militia stormed the Abagena IDPs’ camp located along the Makurdi- Lafia road at about 11.35 p.m., shooting sporadically during which six people were killed instantly, while the other died later in the hospital.

Those killed included women, children and the older people. New Telegraph, who was at the scene of the attack saw hordes of residents, including the IDPs, block the major highway with the dead bodies, a development that obstructed traffic for several hours. Governor Samuel Ortom, while addressing angry youths, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to live up to his responsibility of protecting Nigerians. He described the attack on the IDP camp as inhuman, barbaric and unacceptable.

The governor, who called for urgent action against the activities of militia herdsmen across the country, said if the Federal Government had taken the issue of militia herders seriously, it wouldn’t have escalated to this level. He lamented that in the last two weeks, over 70 persons had been killed in Makurdi, Guma and Gwer West local government areas alone while various communities across the state are suffering from the same militia herdsmen. “I want to say that we have been overstretched, with our patience and our preaching of rule of law and due process, you can see that the people are fed up.

“Mr. President must rise up, he is President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and over the 250 nationalities that are in this country, Mr. President is their President. We all voted for him, he has taken the oath of office to secure the country and provide security for lives and property. This is unacceptable, this cannot continue. Mr. President cannot be aloof, he should rise up to address the nation himself, not Garba Shehu or any of his assistants, he should tell us where we are going in this country, this is too much! Governor Ortom said that the body language of the President clearly shows that he is President of the Fulani people, adding that it was amazing that the country has become a banana republic; wondering why the Presidential order of shootat- sight of those carrying AK 47 had been flouted by his Defence Minister. “It is better for me not to be alive to see this kind of shame of leadership, ” he said angrily.

Read Previous

Buhari needs cooperation, understanding to fight insecurity, says Tinubu

Read Next

Oladeinde: How Sanwo-Olu transformed transportation in Lagos

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *