Ortom: We must wake up before herdsmen’s attacks consume us all

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has said unless Nigerians collectively wake up to the menace of the killer herdsmen, everyone stands the risk of being consumed. Ortom spoke in Abuja at the weekend.

The governor justified his recent call on the federal government to allow Nigerians bear arms, saying it would serve as self-defence in the face of the growing insecurity in the country.

This was as the warring Atyap, Hausa and Fulani communities in Zangon Kataf Local Area of Southern Kaduna agreed to live in peace after months of violence that led to mass killings and destruction of property.

Ortom said regarding the attacks by herdsmen that the state government had taken decisive steps, which had yielded positive result, including the arrest and prosecution of a sizeable number of the criminals.

He stated, “I am not a security expert but as a governor, I receive briefing and I was able to do my independent investigation and know that these people are coming for an agenda. Nigerians must wake up. If we don’t wake up, we will all be consumed.”

The governor added, “We have arrested about 400 herdsmen and some are not even Fulanis but majority of them are Fulanis and we have prosecuted them. Today, we have convicted more than 130 herdsmen, who are already serving various jail terms and some have paid fines.

“We have arrested over 9000 cattle but as the law stipulates, once you pay fine we release them to you and you transport them. You no longer go on foot with those cattle within Benue State.

“On the issue of foreign herdsmen, I am happy that the Inspector General of Police, some days ago, did say these herdsmen are not Nigerians. That is what I said about two or three years ago. I knew it.”

Ortom reiterated his belief in the need for the citizens to bear arms in self-defence, saying he stands by his submission.

According to him, “This is a suggestion that the federal government should take up seriously, because in America people are licensed to carry sophisticated weapons, but life is still going on. It is left for the federal government to look at it if my suggestion can be carried, but for me, I still stand by my suggestion.

“I heard people complaining that Ortom called for Nigerians to be allowed to carry sophisticated weapons and that it would bring about anarchy. What about the Fulani herdsmen, who are carrying AK-47 rifles and kidnapping innocent Nigerians, raping our women, and destroying our villages and towns and becoming a terror to us.

“Why can’t we collect these sophisticated weapons from them? How many of them have been arrested? I am aware that some have been apprehended, but majority of them are still there with those AK-47.”

The governor explained that the state’s share of the N13.5 billion approved by the federal government for community policing across the country would be used to train personnel of its local vigilante group. He stressed that the state had so far recruited the necessary personnel for the take-off of its vigilante body in all the 276 wards in the state. According to him, what is left is the training of the security personnel.

Ortom stated, “Already, we have done the recruitment from all the 276 wards, so I think the next thing is for the training to take place. I believe that the N13.5 billion that was approved will support the logistics of training these people.

“Otherwise we had undertaken that the local governments and state government will jointly see how they can provide stipends so that these people will report to the police and support the police. But they will work hand-in-hand with vigilante groups.”

Commenting further on community policing, he explained, “This is a policy that all the North-central state governors and the Inspector General of Police met sometime ago and we jointly agreed to augment the capacity and the strength of the Nigeria Police.

“We need to do something that will arise from the community to support the police. So, it is a policy that would engaged the rural people and government is told to find ways of giving them stipends, but the police will train these recruits.” (THISDAY)