Defend yourselves, Ortom charges Benue people

From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has again called on the people of the state to rise to defend themselves against any form of attack.

The Governor made the call on Tuesday in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur following the gruesome murder of 25 persons by suspected herdsmen in three local government areas of the state on Monday night.

It would be recalled that no fewer than eight persons were mowed down on Monday night by Fulani herdsmen who invaded Mbadwem in Guma local government area and 15 in Tiortyu in Tarka local government area while a traditional ruler was also killed in Gaambetiev in Logo Local Government Area all of Benue state.

It was also gathered that scores of others were injured during the attacks and are receiving treatment in unnamed hospitals across the state.

The visibly devastated Governor Samuel Ortom consequently, directed his people to rise up to defend themselves forthwith.

The Governor said “it is becoming increasingly glaring everyday that my people are now an endangered specie and so we can no longer wait for help from anywhere. My people will have to rise up to the occasion to defend themselves and their heritage against the Fulani army of occupation.

“We are law abiding citizens. We have cried for help against these invaders but nothing is forthcoming. We are left alone and it looks like it is a deliberate strategy. Now we have only one option; to defend ourselves or get extinct. This is a case for our survival.

“We have been accommodating of other people in our land but our hospitality is misconstrued as weakness. We are not a conquered people. We will never be. We are free born citizens of Nigeria”, the Governor declared.

The statement added that the Governor had already called on security operatives to do more in crime prevention and protection of lives and property in the land just as he urged the people to cooperate with security agencies to flush out the undesirable elements in the society.

“The state government, he said, will not shy away from its commitment to provide welfare and the security for the citizens,” the statement concluded.