The Federal Government (FG), according to Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, is encouraging the Fulani herdsmen militia to seize power.
He revealed this to reporters not long after he paid Sunday visits to patients at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi, who were being treated for injuries sustained in attacks by Fulani herdsmen at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp at Abagena.
Remember how the herders assaulted the camp on Friday, leaving roughly nine people in its wake?
Among the victims that the governor visited were an aged woman, Esther Num who was shot on the waist; 14 year old Emberga Ukpoor whose hand was chopped off and Terna Ikyaan, that was shot in the abdomen.
Others are 14 year old Kwaghve Terkimbi, who had his ear chopped-off as well as Agber Ikyume, Regina Gbashaor, Eunice Iyua who were inflicted with various degrees of injuries.
According to the Governor, “This is my pain, since 2015, I have cried out loud that the Federal Government is complicit to the issues of terrorism raising Fulanis in Niger from Futa Jalon (Senegal), Cameroon, Mauritania and Libya and other parts of the world so that they will come to Nigeria and take it and make it their country.
“One thing that pains me 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, and yet they are adamant. It is not that these people are not known, they are known,” Ortom insisted.
He further stressed that ‘The day that the Federal Government wants these acts of terrorism against our people to end, that will be it. But for now they are complicit. They are working with them to push for the take-over of this country and make this country a Fulani nation.
“I am quoting the Fulani National Movement, I am quoting Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore who are responsible for these recruitment and killings that are going on.
“No one has attempted to even call these people and question them and do the needful. If we are a country that believes in the rule of law, this will not continue. We are fed up with this kind of lawlessness that is going on.
“I have restrained myself from becoming a lawless governor or a lawless leader, because this will lead to anarchy and when we get to that level that is war and nobody can pray for war.
“Those who have experienced it (war) before, including security agencies, none of them will ask for this kind of situation”, he stated.
