Benue Killings: Gov. Ortom Charges President Buhari To Match Words With Action

By Ayodele Oni

The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to match his words with action by deploying more troops in the state to halt the killings by Fulani herdsmen.

More than 134 people have been gruesomely murdered by Fulani herdsmen in the villages in Benue State in the last five days across three local government areas of Otukpo, Apa and Guma.

President Mohammadu Buhari, through his spokesman, Garba Shehu, had on Saturday directed security agencies to halt killings in Benue state, following abduction of some school children on Friday.

Governor Ortom spoke when he paid  condolence visit to the Mgbam community in Nyiev council ward of Guma local government area where 36 people, including internally displaced persons were killed by Fulani herdsmen on Friday night, April 7th, 2023 while over 40 people were injured in the attack.

The Governor described the attack as “heinous and cowardly” for the marauding herdsmen who have continued to kill innocent Benue indigenes without any provocation.

He said the President should not just stop at mourning with the families of the bereaved, but also direct security agencies to go all out to arrest the Fulani militia who have made life unbearable to the people of the state.

He said the time had come for the president to act fast beyond words and with concrete actions to end the killings.

Governor Ortom, however, appealed to the community and its leaders to continue to be law abiding but also be vigilant at all times so as to be able to wade off the assailants.

The Governor also visited the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, where those injured in the unprovoked dastard attack are receiving treatment.

Speaking to journalists after going round the wards where the wounded were hospitalized, Governor Ortom bemoaned the mindless killings by marauding invaders stating that in the last five days similar attacks by armed herders in three LGAs of the state including, Otukpo, Apa and Guma have claimed over 134 lives of innocent.