Samuel Ortom, Benue
governor, says he alerted President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi
Osinbajo of the planned attacks by herdsmen, but he was ignored.
Ortom
said he also drew the attention of Babagana Monguno, national security adviser,
and Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police (IGP) to the potential attack.
Speaking
before the senate ad hoc committee on security infrastructure, the governor
blamed security agencies for the continued attacks and killings by herdsmen.
The
governor told the committee led by Ahmad Lawan, senate majority leader, that
when he got wind of the planned attacks, he wrote Osinbajo, who was then acting
president when Buhari was away on medical leave.
“We
wrote to the Vice President on the planned attack on parts of Benue by Fulani
herdsmen, because the word was everywhere on the street, but he refused to
reply,” Ortom recounted.
“And
when there was no response, and when Mr. President came back, I personally went
and intimated him, and also wrote.
“The
documents are here, I will hand them over to you. I wrote to him on the planned
attack by Fulani herdsmen because these threats were on the streets.
“I
intimated Mr. President and it was put into writing. On the same October 7,
2017, I wrote to the Inspector General of Police. I told him of a planned
attack on our people when there was no response.
“October
27, 2017, I reminded him that these people are planning to attack us, we are
law abiding, we have disarmed our youths, and we are looking unto security
agencies.
“And
the way to do it is to arrest those people who were inciting the herdsmen to
combat us, and we knew they were going to come.
“These
people were all over the place; on television, in papers, doing various press
conferences, and they eventually took us to court. But we felt that it is a
crime for anyone to incite people against us with the purpose of killing or
causing harm, destruction. So we expected them (security agencies) to act, but
there was no action.
“Of
course I wrote to the Senate President for information, and the Speaker. I also
wrote on 7th of October, when I was writing to the Acting President and
Inspector General of Police, to the National Security Adviser on this planned
attack against Benue people. I also wrote to the Director General of the
Department of State Service (DSS).
“And
when there was no action, I followed it up with a reminder on 27th of October,
2017. So, that was it, and I also on the 17th of October, I wrote to the
President, I copied the National Security Adviser.
“There
was no response. Of course, the National Security Adviser invited us for a
meeting two times but it was put off.”
Herdsmen
attacks have been at the forefront of national discourse in the past few weeks,
with Nigerians calling on the federal government to take a decisive action on
the matter.
- The Cable
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