Governor Samuel Ortom
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has explained why his convoy was attacked by suspected Fulani herdsmen on Saturday.
The governor said he ran for close to two kilometres to escape after about 15 herdsmen attacked him on his farm at Tyo-Mu community, near Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
Governor Ortom, who disclosed that the incident occurred around 11 am, said it took the grace of God, his fitness and the bravery of his security personnel to repel the attackers.
Ortom was one of the governors to push for the anti-open grazing law in his state over deadly clashes between the nomads and farmers, a move that was heavily criticised by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, which are the umbrella bodies for nomadic herders in the country.
It would be recalled that Ortom recently engaged in a war of words with Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed over the issue killings by suspected Fulani herders.
The governor once told Fulani killer herders to go to Bauchi State saying there was no room for them in his state.
Ortom said, “You know today is Saturday and it is normal as a farmer, I usually go to my farm on Saturdays.
“So I went to my farm along Gboko Road and while trekking out of the farm; on our way back, we started hearing gunshots and we saw people a little afar who were dressed in black and from experience, we realized that these were the criminal militia.
“I did not want to take things for granted because, a few days ago, the media were awash with a statement from Miyetti Allah, which had met in Yola, the same place they met in 2016, where they declared that they will take over Nigeria and that every other person is a slave and that was when they started infiltrating the entire country.
“They came out with a statement singling me out as the only person who is creating a problem for the entire Fulani race.
“And behind the scenes, I also heard that in the meeting, I was targeted for elimination, this was the information I got. That they will go after me either in my home, farm or wherever they could get me.
“This is not the first time, I got an intelligence report that these people said that they were going to kill my security aides and capture me alive and gradually killing me.
“But like I always say, my life is in the hands of God, not in the hands of any Fulani man or anybody whatsoever.
“And I remain firm, I will fight for the truth, equity and fairness till when God permits that I will not be here again, then I will go.”
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