Revealed! How gunmen attacked Ortom on his farm

Gunmen believed to be Herdsmen militia Saturday morning reportedly attacked the Benue state governor Samuel Ortom on his farm.

The herdsmen were said to have ambushed the governor at 11am at his farm in Tyomu, a suburb in Makurdi, the state capital located along Makurdi Gboko road.

Narrating his ordeal to newsmen, at the government House Makurdi, governor Ortom said he had gone to inspect his farm, when the militia herders, who dressed in black ambushed him and his security men, and opened fire.

He said it took the swift response of his security aides to repel the attack, while he ran for a long distance to escape unhurt. 

He said at a glance he noticed the gunmen were more than 15 in number. 

“I thank God for my security men who repelled the attackers.

“I ran for more than one and a half kilometers without stopping”, he noted. 

The governor lamented that the attack came a few days after the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore held a meeting in Yola and allegedly singled him out as a thorn in their flesh who must be eliminated, pointing out that he received intelligence to that effect.

He said he would never be intimidated by anyone despite the attack noting that he would neither repel the Benue law on ranching. 

“My life is in the hands of God and no any Fulani militia has the power to take it without God’s permission.

“As many times as they try, they would continue to fail.

“The ranching law of the State will not be repealed for any reason, and no intimidation can force my administration to reverse the decision of Benue people against open grazing.

“I am sending a petition to the President and security chiefs against Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as allowing their leadership to walk freely with security personnel attached to them is not in the best interest of the country,” he added. 

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