Ortom Raises Alarm Over Plan By Herdsmen To Ambush, Kill Him

By Josephine Ella-Ejeh

Fulani herdsmen have concluded plans to lay ambush and kill me along the Makurdi/Laafia highway,  Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom alleged on Friday.

Ortom  who claimed  he had received intelligence report about the purported plan to have him kidnapped and murdered stated this during an interactive session with the church, traditional institution and other stakeholders.

The interactive session held at the Pastoral Centre, Makurdi, the Benue State capital, was geared towards peaceful elections in 2019 and was organised by the Makurdi Catholic Diocese.

The governor, who  was said to have spoken in Tiv dialect, revealed  that he got an intelligence report which indicated that the Fulani herdsmen who are currently occupying parts of Guma Local
Government Area of the state were already hatching plans to attack him along the Abuja- Lafia Road.

“The armed herdsmen, according to the intelligence report, would ensure that all my security aides were killed, after which they would kidnap and torture me before killing me.

“Already, I had reported the matter to the Police and other security agencies and they are aware of this.

“Therefore, anytime my spirit doesn’t allow me to travel by road, I would call flight operators. But, just a few days ago, the Federal Government has issued a circular directing that no flight should land in Makurdi Airport again,” he said.

Governor Ortom also alleged that some Benue indigenes have connived with “forces in Abuja” to kill him.

Meanwhile in a chat with newsmen, Catholic Bishop of Makurdi, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, disclosed that over 306 traditional rulers, youths, members of the Catholic Women Organisation and Catholic Men Organisation and other stakeholders were invited for the meeting to educate them on a violence-free election ahead of 2019.