THE former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has stated that the directive issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the security crisis in Benue has not yet been put into action.
During his visit to Benue on June 18 following the deadly Yelewata attack that claimed over 100 lives, President Tinubu called on former governors and traditional leaders to collaborate with Governor Hyacinth Alia in tackling insecurity in the state.
However, speaking during an interview yesterday, Ortom revealed that no meeting or action has been initiated since the president’s visit.
“We’ve not had any meeting. We are still waiting, perhaps, for the governor to call one. Benue belongs to all of us—we cannot allow this level of violence to persist,” Ortom said.
He further explained that the Yelewata attack struck close to home, as the area is part of his local government and holds deep personal significance.
“Over 200 people were killed in Yelewata—that’s my community. My paternal grandmother is from there. It’s personal,” he added.
Ortom also reflected on his time in office, claiming he did all he could to involve traditional rulers, security agencies, and local communities in fighting off attacks. He criticized previous federal policies such as RUGA and cattle colonies, describing them as deceptive strategies.
“I opposed them consistently. I shared statistics showing such models don’t work elsewhere. Farmers and herders can’t coexist without conflict,” he said.
He alleged that some of the attacks were orchestrated by foreign elements from Chad, Niger, Senegal, Mali, and Libya, with local support to seize land and displace communities.
“It’s a deliberate plan to wipe out a people,” Ortom said.
While acknowledging President Tinubu’s visit and directive as a positive step, he criticized the previous administration for its lack of responsiveness.
“When the Yelewata massacre happened, Tinubu visited and directed security agencies to act. That didn’t happen under the previous government,” Ortom said.