Benue killings: No basis for Ortom to hire mediator – Govt

Benue state government has described as “false and mischievous” media reports that Governor Samuel Ortom “is planning to hire a negotiator to mediate between the state government and armed Fulani militia” over killings in the state.
Speaking through the Special Adviser, Media and ICT, Tahav Agerzua in a statement yesterday, government said there was “no basis for Governor Ortom to hire any negotiator or mediator to tackle the current security challenges in the state.” “The claims made in the socalled letter are as baseless as they are outlandish.
There is no basis whatsoever for Governor Samuel Ortom to hire any negotiator or mediator to tackle the current security challenges in the state as he was already providing support to the conventional federal security agencies whose duty it is to protect lives and property to end the crisis.
“Some of the reports attributed their source to a purported letter written to the Governor by an indigene who resides outside the state.
The Governor has not received such a letter the contents of which are obvious mischief and diversion from a serious challenge confronting the people of the state.
“The claim that the governor brought in Mrs Aisha Wakil, alias Mama Boko Haram, to Benue state for purposes of mediation is also false and mischievous.
Mrs. Wakil visited the state recently in company of the national leadership of the Boys Scouts and Governor Ortom’s interaction with her did not go beyond that public occasion,” the statement reiterated.
It said the current security challenges in the state have been aggravated by “sponsors of Fulani armed herdsmen militia who have openly vowed to resist the validly enacted Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017.” It explained that the governor and other leaders of the state have called for the arrest and prosecution of the leaders of these groups for the atrocities being committed in the state by the herdsmen militia.
“The position of several groups that Alhaji Aliyu Tershaku’s arrest and prosecution with members of the Livestock Guards for murder of two Catholic priests and worshippers is an attempt to change the truenarrative and blame the victims instead of the aggressors suffices,” it added.