The former senate president, Mr. David Mark and the Peoples Democratic Party have roundly condemned the attempted assassination of the governor of Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom by suspected herdsmen.
Recall that the governor was attacked yesterday by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen at his farm along Tyo-Mu-Abetse-Gboko Road, in Makurdi Local Council of the state.
Addressing journalists in Makurdi, Ortom called for the arrest and prosecution of leaders of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore who he alleged had singled him out for assassination at a recent meeting in Yola, Adamawa State.
According to the governor, about 15 armed herdsmen who dressed in black, opened fire on him and his security aides.
He said after escaping the attack, he ran for more than one kilometre on foot as the herders swooped on his entourage.
“I thank God for my fitness to have run for more than one and a half kilometres without stopping.
“It means that God has given me strength and I am grateful to God,” he said.
He said the six security aides who were with him did a yeoman’s job, taking on the 15 armed herders who came for his life.
While the security aides engaged and repelled the bandits, Ortom said he seized the opportunity to take to his heels, running a distance of over one and a half kilometres.
“If not for my security men and God I would have been dead by now, I ran over 1.5 kilometers to escape while my security men repelled the herdsmen”, he said.
“I appreciate the security men attached to me. They were able to repel them and they could not have access to me.
“And I thank God for my fitness to have run for more than one and a half kilometres without stopping. It means that God has given me strength and I am grateful to God.
“I don’t have problems with any Fulani man or Fulani race. But I have a problem with Fulani bandits who have vowed to take over Nigeria as their ancestral home. And I say no. Not when I am here and when I am governor leading my state.
“If I can’t go to farm as a governor with the entire security around me, then who else can go to farm? You can imagine the pains that we have here in Benue State.
Reacting to the incident, Mark warned the federal government against pushing Nigerians to resort to self help.
He said in a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Paul Mumeh that security operatives have the task of rising up to the challenges of securing lives and property to avoid the people resorting to self defence.
“If our government and security operatives can no longer guarantee people’s safety in their homes, farms or places of business, I am worried that the situation may compel citizens to resort to self help. That is the situation; we cannot contemplate and must not be allowed to happen because the consequences would be catastrophic.
“Therefore, federal government and all the security agencies must of a necessity come to terms with the painful reality of the unabating insecurity in the land and resolve to end it.”
He said the deteriorating security situation in country has become scandalous and made Nigeria a subject of ridicule before other nations.
He wondered what the criminals would not do to the ordinary citizens if they (criminal) could attack a state governor so brazenly.
“Benue people are receptive and accommodating but this should not be misconstrued or mistaken for weakness, enough of this malady.”
He encouraged Ortom not to be deterred by the incident.
Instead, he said it should spur him to beef up security and welfare for Benue people.
He also urged the all citizens to be security conscious at all times by providing useful information to security operatives of any suspected activity believed to be unlawful or anti-society.
For its part, the PDP in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan charged President Muhammadu Buhari to put machinery in motion by ordering an immediate manhunt, arrest and prosecution of the assailants and beef up security around the governor.
The statement reads: “The PDP expresses shock that the assailants trailed Governor Ortom and opened fire on him and his aides along Makurdi/Gboko road, in an attack that by every indication is aimed to assassinate the governor.
“Our party is worried that this brazen attempt at Governor Ortom’s life is coming on the heels of his outspokenness in exposing those allegedly behind the incessant attacks of communities in the state and demanding that the Federal Government to live up to its responsibility on the protection of life and property in the state.
“The PDP fears for the life of Governor Ortom and we urge Nigerians to hold the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration responsible over its failure to take a decisive step to check the escalated insecurity and brazen attacks on innocent Nigerians.
“The PDP however calls on Governor Ortom not to be deterred by the attack but to remain courageous and at alert, at all times while providing leadership to the people of his state.
“The party also calls on the people of Benue State to be calm and vigilant while providing useful information to security agencies to flush bandits and criminal elements out of the state and other parts of the country.”
In his reaction, the governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike pointed fingers at the federal government for the attempted assassination.
Wike said in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Kelvin Ebiri that should be killed, the country could be plunged into another civil war, and there will be “no more Nigeria.”
“If you kill Ortom, then be prepared to bury Nigeria. If anything happens to Governor Ortom, the Federal Government will be held responsible and they should be prepared that there will be no more Nigeria,” he said.
“It is worrisome that this attack is coming on the heels of passionate demands by Dr. Ortom that FG live up to its responsibility on the protection of life and property of Nigerians.”
Similarly, the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) condemned attack describing it as “shocking and a rude awakening.”
The NGF, in a statement signed by its chairman and governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi said: “The news of the broad daylight attempt to cut short the life of the Governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom, is shocking and a rude awakening.
“The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) empathizes with the governor and the people of Benue State on this sad, cowardly, and wicked plan and vehemently condemns the act in its entirety.
“All hands must be on deck to uncover the identities of those involved in this heinous crime.
The NGF also described as “unacceptable” the attempt to make Benue State ungovernable saying such plot would fail woefully.
The forum also stated that the act of resorting to violence, for whatever reason, to eliminate citizens of Benue State by brutal means must not continue.
Besides, it said all evil-doers will continue to fail and will be traced and punished for their crimes.
“While all governors will continue to pray for Governor Ortom, the NGF wishes to draw the attention of all evildoers that not only will they continue to fail in their wicked acts, but they will also definitely be traced and punished for their crimes, no matter how long it takes,” it added.
Meanwhile, the inspector general of police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, has ordered full-scale investigations into the circumstances surrounding the attempted assassination.
Adamu condemned the incident and directed the commissioner of police to take adequate measures towards strengthening and improving security in the state, particularly around the governor.
Force spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, in a statement on Sunday, said Adamu had also directed the commissioner of police to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the attackers.
In a statement entitled ‘Attack on Governor Ortom of Benue State: IG orders full-scale investigations’, Mba said: “The IGP has also specifically directed the CP to carry out painstaking investigations into the incident and ensure the arrest and prosecution of persons indicted in the course of the investigations.
“Meanwhile, in order to ensure a speedy, thorough and conclusive investigation into the matter, the IGP has ordered the immediate deployment of a team of specialized investigators from the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Abuja, to Benue State to provide additional investigative support to the Benue State Police Command.”
While calling for calm, Adamu assured the people of Benue State and the country at large that the Force would continue to do its best in stabilizing the security situation in the country.
He further reiterated that the Force would continue to work with relevant stakeholders to advance the fight against violent crimes and other criminal activities across the country.
