By Kula Tersoo Makurdi Benue state Governor, Samuel Ortom has fi red back at his River state counterpart, Nyesom Wike, saying the governor needed help hence the need to pray for him. Ortom, who was responding to Wike’s suggestion for the declaration of state of emergency for the killings in Benue state by Fulani herdsmen and a team of militia, also described the call as not only ‘laughable’ but equally ‘ridiculous’.
Wike, on Wednesday expressed displeasure at the way and manner the Benue state governor was handling the killing of his people by both herdsmen and gunmen.
He accused the governor of displaying ineptitude averring that he was watching helplessly as his people were being killed. However, in a reaction, Ortom said Wike’s comment was unfortunate, maintaining that if there was any place where a state of emergency should be declared, then it should be River state, where there were unending and unresolved cult and political killings. “Wike need prayers. I will pray for him and his state. He seriously needs our sympathies. He is governing over a lawless state.
There are more killings in River state than here. So, if there is anywhere a state of emergency should be declared, then it should be River state. For me, I do not subscribe to lawlessness in my state”, Ortom said.
He explained that his administration inherited high level of insecurity including kidnapping, cultism and other criminality, stating he has made frantic eff orts to reduce crime in the state to barest minimum. “Th e crisis between herders and farmers is not peculiar to Benue alone. Leaders like Wike are not supposed to make such comments.
I pray such does not happen to any governor, but I leave Wike to his conscience. Am in touch with the Presidency, the Inspector General of Police, the DirectorGeneral of Department of State Security (DSS) as well as other security agencies to forestall acts of criminality in the state. “Already, Police chopper has been deployed to the state and adequate security is being beefed up, especially in the troubled areas. We will overcome this”, he concluded.
