Former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has stated that the violence in Benue was sponsored by foreign elements, claiming that some attackers were from Chad, Niger, Senegal, Mali, and Libya.
Naijaonpoint reports that Ortom, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, stated that the directive issued by President Bola Tinubu on the security challenges confronting the state during his recent visit has yet to be implemented.
Recall that Tinubu had, during his trip to Benue State on June 18 after the Yelewata attack that left more than 100 people dead, asked former governors and traditional rulers to work together with Governor Hyacinth Alia to tackle insecurity.
However, Ortom said no meeting has been convened since Tinubu’s visit, stressing that the Yelewata attack, which drew the President’s attention, hit close to home as the affected area is part of his local government.
He said, “We have not had any meeting, so maybe we are still waiting if the governor calls to go there, because Benue State belongs to us, and there is no way we can allow this to continue to happen.
“Where this incident took place, in Yelewata, where over 200 people were killed, that is my local government. The mother of my father comes from that Yelewata. So, it is as good as home. It is my place, and we are waiting for the governor, if he calls us, we’ll go there.
“People here collaborated with those foreigners to invade our land and take over. It is a deliberate attempt to wipe out a particular people. That is the truth.”
While praising Tinubu’s response to the Yelewata killings, Ortom said the previous government failed to address the crisis.
He added, “This government, when the Yelewata attack happened, the president went there himself, and he ordered the security agencies to apprehend those people. This did not happen when the former government was there.”