Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has accused the Federal Government of complicity in herdsmen attacks on citizens of the state, stressing that the unprovoked killings have been his pain since 2015.
The governor made the allegation on Sunday when he visited victims of recent herdsmen attacks at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp at Abagena.
The Nigerian News gathered that some of the hospitalised victims are receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi.
According to reports, some suspected herdsmen had attacked the camp last week Friday, killing and injuring some of the victims.
Among those who the governor consoled were an aged woman, Esther Num, who suffered injury due to the gun shot on her waist; 14-year-old Emberga Ukpoor who had her hand chopped off and Terna Ikyaan, who also sustained gunshot injury in the abdomen.
Others include 14-year-old Kwaghve Terkimbi, who had his ear chopped-off while Agber Ikyume, Regina Gbashaor and Eunice Iyua were inflicted with various degree of injuries.
While lamenting on the situation, Ortom said, “This has been my pain, since 2015, I have cried out loud, insisting that the Federal Government is complicit on the issues of terrorism, raising Fulanis in Niger from Futa Jalon (Senegal), Cameroon, Mauritania and Libya and other parts of the world, to come to Nigeria and take it and make it their country.”
He further said, “My greatest pain is that these people have not hidden their intentions and they are known. The Federal Government is protecting them.”
“I have called for the arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore several times. I have written to the Presidency. I have written to DSS, I have written to the Police, yet they are adamant. It is not that these people are not known, they are known”.
Governor Ortom stated “once the Federal Government decides that these acts of terrorism against our people be put to an end, that will be it. But at the moment, they are complicit. They are working with them to push for the take-over of this country and make this country a Fulani nation.”
