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Tag: Ortom

  • Benue killings: Ortom appear before lawmakers, says menace will end soon

    Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has expressed optimism that the renewed commitment shown by the Federal Government concerning the killings in the State will end the bloodbath in the State.

    Speaking Thursday when he appeared before the State Lawmakers who summoned him to throw light on measures taking by the State Security Council to halt the incessant killings, Governor Ortom said the deployment of additional security personnel will solve the problem.

    He commended the Federal Government for deploying more military, police and Civil Defense personnel to the State.

    The Governor appealed to the people of the State to unite against external aggressors rather than engaging in internal conflicts.

    Commenting on the arrest of Mr. Tashaku Aliyu, Governor Ortom said he has no problem with his arrest but said justice should be done in his case do that in the end, truth will prevail.

    In his remarks, Speaker, Mr. Terkimbi Ikyange commended the Governor for his doggedness in resisting the take over of Benue land and assured him of the support of the House.

  • Only five of 23 LGAs in Benue free from attacks by herdsmen — Ortom

    Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue, said on Monday that only five of the 23 Local Government Areas of the state were free from attacks by herdsmen.

    Ortom stated this during his first official interaction with newsmen since he returned from his vacation from the People’s Republic of China two days ago.

    He regretted the continued onslaught against the state by the killer- herdsmen and called for vigilance from the people.

    He, however, assured that President Muhammadu Buhari, was working round the clock with his security chiefs to end the attacks.

    According to him, the Chief Of Army Staff (COAS) would soon visit the state to address some of the challenges and assured that “very soon they would become a thing of the past”.

    He said the transfer of his security aides was also cancelled and explained that all political leaders in the country had the right to chose their security details.

    Ortom also condemned the burning down of over 300 houses by the Nigerian Army in Naka as well as the killing of a soldier by hoodlums in the area.

    He said neither the killing of the soldier nor the arson that followed the killing could be justified in law.

    He, however, disclosed that the five suspects linked to the soldiers death were handed over to the police and wondered why the soldiers still went on to burn houses.

    Ortom said the arrested people were nabbed by the Gwer West Council chairman and traditional rulers.

    According to him, the action of the council chairman and traditional rulers underscored heir disgust at the unlawful behavior of killing the soldier by taking the laws into their hands.

    ”This is a clear demonstration that they were not in support of the killing of the soldier,” he said.

    He said that he had reported the invasion of Naka town by soldiers to the Army chief, who promised to deal decisively with any Army personnel who would be found culpable.

    He disclosed that until the report of the COAS was out and the outcome made public, the state government would have nothing to do.

    He warned against reprisals no matter the level of provocation.

    ”Reprisal of any kind will not be accepted by my government and bloodshed should not take place in the state no matter the situation.

    ”When you allow lawlessness to prevail, you are calling for anarchy and when anarchy is allowed to prevail it will unleash a lot of havoc in the society,” he said.

    He promised not to interfere in the prosecution of his Livestock Guards Commander, Alhaji Aliyu Tershaku, who is under military detention for acts connected to the Book Haram terror group as well as recent killings in the state.

    ”I have never intervened in the arrest and prosecution of any of my appointees who is suspected to have committed murder and in Tershaku’s case too I will not be different. I will allow law enforcement agencies to do their work,” he said.

  • Army arrest Ortom’s aide for alleged involvement in Benue killings

    …We’ll allow the law take its course – Benue Government

    The Nigerian Army on Friday arrested the head of Benue Livestock Guards, Alhaji Aliyu Teshaku for allegedly masterminding recent killings in Benue State.

    Teshaku was arrested on Friday by the Army’s 707 Special Forces Brigade in Makurdi on suspicion of his involvement in some of the deadly attacks recorded across the state since January 1.

    The Army said Teshaku was a Boko Haram suspect and his arrest had input from the police and the State Security Service (SSS).

    Some of the allegations include his alleged involvement in the attack on a Catholic Church on Tuesday in which at least 15 worshipers were killed, including two Catholic priests.

    But some Benue activists are seeing his arrest as a persecution for his fierce opposition to herdsmen activities in the state.

    Recall that leaders of the Miyetti Allah have repeatedly called for Teshaku’s arrest, accusing him of enforcing the anti-open grazing law and leading a militia allegedly raised by the governor.

    While announcing the arrest, Olabisi Ayeni, spokesperson for the Nigerian Army in Makurdi, said security agents moved in time to prevent attacks that were being hatched by Teshaku and his cohorts in Bauchi, Borno and Yobe and Nasarawa States.

    The Army described him as Aminu Yaminu (a.k.a.: Tashaku), but findings revealed that the suspect’s name is Aliyu Teshaku.

    He was once detained at the Force Headquarters in June 2011 when he turned himself in after being declared wanted as a Boko Haram suspect. But he was later released by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), then headed by Babagana Monguno, now the National Security Adviser, in September 2011.

    The police said they released him to the DIA in the spirit of inter-agency cooperation after the agency requested for him.

    Teshaku, however, denied the allegations in an interview in March, saying the DIA released him because there was no evidence to establish his connection to Boko Haram.

    The arrest is seen by some Benue officials as a setback for Governor Samuel Ortom administration’s efforts against the activities of herdsmen in the state.

    Teshaku became the head of Civilian Joint Task Force tasked with checking herdsmen attacks in Benue and Nasarawa States in 2013. But his group later changed its name to Benue Livestock Guards following the introduction of anti-open grazing law in Benue State last year.

    The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Benue State has long accused Teshaku of terrorising herdsmen and other Benue residents of Hausa or Fulani origin.

    Following the January 1 killings of over 100 people in Logo and Guma Local Government Areas of Benue, Teshaku was accused of being the head of a militia allegedly raised by Governor Ortom.

    In January, Nigerian soldiers arrested nine suspected killer herdsmen on the Benue border with Taraba State. They accused Mr Teshaku of providing arms to the suspects.

    But in an interview shortly after the allegations, Teshaku accused the military of trying to frame him. He also said the military was carrying out the agenda of Miyetti Allah which remained vehemently opposed to the anti-open grazing law.

    He added that Benue Livestock Guards had about 2,500 members and eight of them were killed in the January 1 attack in Guma because they were not armed.

    The governor also denied the allegations of raising any militia, saying the Nigerian security agencies should rise to their duty and end killings of his people. He inherited Teshaku’s group from former Governor Gabriel Suswam and kept it in place because of continued attacks by suspected herdsmen.

    Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom has said the Benue State Government will not interfere in the investigations and will allow the law to take its full course.

     

    The special adviser to the governor, Paul Hembah confirmed that no ulterior motive was suspected on the part of federal government, even though he acknowledged the longstanding opposition of Miyetti Allah to Teshaku.

    “The governor has said he will not support any criminality from anyone, no matter who the person may be,” Mr Hembah, a retired colonel, told newsmen by telephone Saturday morning. “The governor will not interfere in his arrest or his release.”

    “The governor is working to end the killings so if anyone is caught, the law should take its cause,” he added.

    “We don’t suspect any foul play. We don’t think the federal government or the army is doing this to persecute him. But he would be arraigned in court and I am sure the security agency will bring out any evidence they have against him,” he said.

    He indicated that the Benue Livestock Guards would not be disbanded as a result of the arrest.

    “Naturally, someone else would be appointed to replace him because the Benue Livestock Guards would not be disbanded,” he said.

     

  • Benue killings: We’ve recovered 26 more bodies, say locals

    There was a new twist to the killings in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State on Friday as some locals said farmers in Akaanya, Tse Gbum, Kpete and Ulam communities in the local government recovered 26 more bodies.

    They said the victims were killed by people in military uniform, who were allegedly looking for their missing colleagues. About 15 persons were also reported killed on Wednesday.

    The locals who spoke to our correspondent claimed that death toll in the affected communities had risen to 67.

    One of the locals, who did not want his name in print, said, “The record we have is that 41 persons were killed on Thursday, but farmers in some affected communities on Friday afternoon discovered 26 bodies, bringing the total to 67.

    Meanwhile, a source close to the chairman of Ukum Local Government Area, who pleaded anonymity, said the 26 corpses were only those recovered on Friday morning.

    The source said, “As it is now, we have recovered 26 dead bodies. Yesterday (Thursday), about 41 persons were killed in Jande Ikura, a community between Benue and Taraba states.

    “We learnt that during the attack, three bodies recovered were those of men dressed in military uniform. So, yesterday (Thursday) between 10 am and 11 am, the same suspected gunmen in military uniform crossed over to some communities in Benue and started shooting, killing people. They claimed that they were looking for their fellow soldiers who had gone missing.

    “They entered Akaanya Tse Gbum and Kpete, which is a riverine area and Ulam, all in Benue, State and killed 26 persons there. Many people are still missing. These people came from Kente area in Taraba State to launch the attack.”

    The source noted that the attackers retreated to their base in Kente after the operation.

    Speaking to journalists shortly after a security council meeting, the Acting Governor of Benue State, Mr. Benson Abounu, said he had yet to be briefed on the casualty rate in Ukum, and that he was only aware of the two persons killed in Makurdi metropolis by the suspected herdsmen.

    “We have had a security council meeting but nobody mentioned anything like that to me,” he added.

    When asked whether he had received a briefing from Ukum Local Government chairman, the acting governor said, “No, the chairman has yet to brief me. At the meeting, we only emphasised the need for security agencies in the state to be proactive rather than being reactive.

    He added, “What they (security men) have been doing is they only go to repel attacks and return instead of mounting checkpoints at the entrance of flashpoints. With the previous strategy, sometimes before the security men could get to where the attacks were taking place, the damage was already done.

    “So, we have asked them to change strategy and guard areas being attacked to forestall further occurrence.”

  • Benue: I’m having sleepless nights – Ortom

    The governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom lamented over the condition and welfare of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state, stating that it has become his cause of worry as he could no longer sleep with his eyes closed over the IDPs losing their homes due to the attacks by Fulani herdsmen.

    Governor Ortom made this known during tour of four IDPs camps at Abagana, R.C.M Daudu, Shelter Daudu and Gbajimba as a psychosocial visit to the IDPs.

    “We are here to show our solidarity to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and assure you that we cannot sleep with our eyes closed, even as we have continued to work in the manner that peace would be restored in attacked communities, so that people can go back to their ancestral homes.

    “I cannot sleep in government house because I think about how you people are faring. I think about how over 12,000 of you in just one camp are coping outside your homes.

    “God should strengthen the President. We appreciate the efforts of the President but we are appealing that exercise Ayem-A-Kpatuma should be upgraded to an operation that would ensure that those who have been sacked by Fulani herdsmen can go back to their ancestral homes” he said.

    Earlier during the tour, the Executive Secretary State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Mr Emmanuel Shior gave statistics of the population of the four camps at 34,019, 12,262, 11,782 and 24,019 respectively, making the total number of IDPs 82,562 comprising of the elderly, physically challenged, nursing mothers, pregnant women and children.

    Shior stated that the state government, Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), Faith-based organizations (FBOs) and spirited individuals have been very supportive to the upkeep of IDPs and maintenance of camps, stating that more is needed as there were new entrants into some of the camps today.

    “We sincerely and heartily appreciate his excellency, Gov Samuel Ortom, NGOs, FBOs and all spirited individuals who have been supportive in the upkeep of the IDPs and the running of the camps in the areas of health, emergency education, sanitation and security.

    “Regardless of the various supports, going back home remains the ultimate for the IDPs.Whatever is done will not be enough because even today we had new arrivals. We appreciate the Federal Government for the support of the National Emergency and Management Agency (NEMA). NEMA was here once and we hope that more intervention from the Federal Government would be had.” Mr Shior said.

    Rev. Tom Igya during an exhortation, encouraged the people (IDPs) not to give up on God, as no one can find help outside God, reading from the Bible in the book of Second Kings 6:27 – “And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barn floor, or out of the winepress?”.

    Rev Igya admonished the people to turn to God and surrender all to Him, as God would in turn fight their battles and grant them victory over their adversaries.

  • Gov. Ortom urges refugee commission to be proactive

    Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue has advised the National Commission for Refugees, Migration and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to be swift in reacting to emergencies so as to ease the effect on victims.

     

    Ortom gave the advice on Friday in Makurdi, when a delegation of the commission, led by Mr Charles Nwanlo, Assistant Director, Migration, presented relief materials for distribution to IDPs in the state.

     

    He lamented that the commission’s support was just coming in, two months after a report was formally submitted to it.

     

    “The commission must be proactive; it must show more commitment to the plight of the IDPs considering its important role to their welfare,” he said.

     

    Noting that 60 per cent of the IDPs were children, Ortom said that it was a miracle that no epidemic had been reported from any of the camps.

     

    Ortom, however, commended the commission for sending the relief materials to the state, and thanked his colleagues that had shown deep concern to the plight of the IDPs.

     

    He also appreciated Nigerians that had supported the anti-open grazing law and the establishment of ranches as the only solution to the persistent conflicts between farmers and herdsmen.

     

    Earlier, Nwanlo had said that the commission was worried about the plight of the IDPs in Benue and other parts of the country, saying that the outfit was mobilising resources toward integrating and resettling them.

    FG donates relief materials to IDPs in Edo

  • Over one million cows have invaded Benue, Ortom raises alarm

    Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State on Monday raised fresh alarm of the invasion of over a million cows in Benue State; a sign of another possible attack.

    The governor said this when he led the senior pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Paul Enenche, and his wife, Becky, to the cemetery of the 73 victims of the New Year Fulani herdsmen attacks.

    The governor hinged his alarm on the influx of over one million cattle into the state despite the launch of Ayem Akpatuma military exercise last Tuesday.

    Governor Ortom, who decried the influx of herdsmen into the state, appealed to the military to flush out the invaders so that the over 160,000 displaced persons who had been in eight camps could return to their homes.

    Ortom further said that more than 60 persons, including three people killed last week in Guma Local Government Area of the state, have been killed since the mass burial of the 73 persons initially killed by herdsmen in the New Year attacks.

    “We appreciate president Buhari for the deployment of soldiers to the state to keep the peace, but our concern is the influx of over one million cows into the state despite the presence of the military.”

    Conducting funeral service at the cemetery, Enenche anointed the land to signify the breaking of the yoke, declaring that the burial would also connote the interment of security failure, impunity, Jihadist agenda and all forms of evils.

    He also prayed for God’s judgment against the killers and their sponsors throughout the country and charged the earth to rise up against them.

  • Three herdsmen jailed for open grazing in Benue

    Three herdsmen are to spend the next one year in jail after a Makurdi Magistrates’ Court on Friday found them guilty of violating the Benue State Anti-Open Grazing Law, 2017.

    Jailed are Iliya Garba, Hassan Abdullahi, and Lanshak Lonfalk who were all charged with criminal conspiracy and open nomadic livestock rearing and grazing.

    The offences are punishable under Sections 97 of the Penal Code and 19 (2) of the Open Grazing Prohibition Ranches Establishment Law of Benue, 2017.

    Prosecutor Michael Iorundu told the court that the joint patrol team of `Operation Zenda,’ led by Sgt. Edward Shinyi, arrested the herders on February 18.

    He said that they were brought to the State Criminal and Investigation Department, Makurdi.

    “The team reported that the three herders and others now at large, were openly grazing their cattle along Yeluwata Road in Guma Local Government Area of Benue.

    “When the case came up for mention, the herders pleaded guilty to the charge against them, saying that they were not aware that open grazing had been prohibited in Benue,’’ he said.

    The Magistrate, Mrs Lillian Tsumba said that the herders were first offenders who were also illiterates and not even aware that open grazing has been prohibited in Benue.

    Tsumba said that a law such as open grazing prohibition required massive exposure and education of persons at the grassroots.

    She, however, said law is law and must be obeyed in spite ignorance.

  • Benue massacre: Ortom appears before senate over herdsmen, farmers clashes

    Governor Samuel Ortom is currently meeting with the Senate in the ongoing probe by the upper chamber of the National Assembly into the killings by herdsmen in Benue State.

    The governor is appearing before the joint Senate Committee on Police Affairs; and National Security and Intelligence, especially on his indictment by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, over his alleged culpability in the security crisis in the state.

    The meeting is ongoing behind closed doors.

     

    Details later…

  • Herdsmen/farmers crisis: Stop meddling in our issues in Benue, Ortom warns Lalong

    Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has warned his counterpart in Plateau State, Governor Simon Lalong, to ‘mind his own business’ and not to interfere with the issue of Benue.

    Ortom said this to the representative of Lalong at the stakeholders’ meeting with the National Economic Council Technical Committee on Herdsmen/Farmers’ Crises Resolution.

    The stakeholders were led by the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi.

    Ortom said his deputy, Benson Abounu, informed him about the discussion between him and Lalong, where the Plateau State Governor reiterated his warning to Ortom not to go ahead with the Benue State anti-open grazing law.

    Ortom said, “My deputy told me that he had a discussion with Lalong recently at a function, where he (Lalong) said that he had to apologise to me over his statement because of pressure on him, saying, he stands by his earlier statement.

    “He also told the people that he introduced this woman (pointing at the woman on the high table) in this committee to me, whereas, this woman was introduced to me by Nasir el-Rufai, not him.

    “Thank God he has a representative here; please tell him to stop interfering with the affairs of my state; let him mind his business in Plateau and I will mind my own business here.

    “I am the governor here (Benue); how can he say that he warned me? Who is he to warn me? He can only advise me.”

    Lalong had at the peak of the herdsmen’s attacks on Benue State told newsmen in Abuja that he warned Ortom against the new law.

    The stakeholders’ meeting held at the new banquet hall of the state government house on Sunday night.

    The meeting, which dragged into the early hours of Monday, had in attendance some National Assembly members, religious leaders, traditional rulers and opinion moulders.

    Speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of the Benue State Traditional Council, HRM Prof. James Ayatse, questioned the credibility of the committee since some of its members had at one time or the other taken position on the Benue crisis.

    According to him, the governors of Plateau and Kaduna State – Lalong and El-Rufai, respectively – had made cynical statements concerning the crisis and asked, ‘how do we get justice?’

    “While in pains, a Benue delegation visited President Buhari and the only consolation he could give us was to say, ‘In the name of God, accommodate your fellow countrymen.’ With this statement, how will my people get justice?”

    The paramount ruler charged the committee members to be neutral and discharge their responsibility with the fear of God.

    Other who spoke at the meeting included the Catholic Bishop, Makurdi Diocese, Wilfred Anagbe; a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mike Aondoaka, (SAN); and a former commissioner in the state, Mrs. Rebecca Akpedzan.

    Others were the President General, Mdzough U Tiv, Chief Edward Ujege; a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Benard Hon; the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Benue State, Rev. Akpen Negua, and a second-class traditional ruler, Chief A. Abomtse.

    All the speakers condemned what they termed the lacklustre attitude of the Federal Government to the crisis and insisted that there was no going back on the new law.