Chief Michael Aondoakaa, who used to be the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, has asked the US government to expand its air strikes to Benue State to get rid of terrorists and bandits who are active there.
According to The PUNCH, Aondoakaa made the call over a meal with political leaders in Makurdi on Friday night that went into the early hours of Saturday.
Leaders and important people from the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party in the state were there.
The former AGF explained that the call had to be made because he thought there were more and more terrorists in Benue State.
His appeal comes after the US bombed camps linked to the Islamic State in the Bauni woodland area of Sokoto State late on Christmas Day.
Aondoakaa claimed that the demand to move similar operations to Benue was vital because he noted that terrorists were becoming more common in the state.
“There are terrorists in Benue State.” Before moving to Sokoto, the US should have initiated air strikes here. Aondoakaa remarked, “The air strikes are long overdue in Benue.”
He stated that armed organizations pretending to be herders had taken over various local government districts in the state, which made him sad.
He said that herders who first arrived to the area pretending to be grazing had turned against communities, destroyed sources of income, forced people to leave their homes, and taken over their land.
Aondoakaa, who wants to be the governor of Benue State in 2027, said the state government was not doing enough to deal with the state’s security problems and that US airstrikes would assist a lot.
He told people that if he were elected governor in 2027, he would work to make things safer. He said that protecting lives and property would be his first concern.
The former minister also spoke out against the string of murders in the state, especially the purported slaughter in the Yelwata hamlet, where nearly 200 people were killed in one day.
He did, however, praise President Bola Tinubu for his efforts to make the country safer and asked for continued federal cooperation to stop such assaults in Benue.
Aondoakaa also praised Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and Samuel Ortom, a former governor of the state, for their work to bring people together. He called for ongoing cooperation to help Benue grow.
Ortom spoke at the occasion and said he had faith in Aondoakaa’s ability and humility. He called him a leader with the experience to make a real difference in the state.
Ortom stressed the importance of strategic collaborations that go beyond party lines and called for political actors to work together to improve Benue’s safety and development.
He lauded Aondoakaa for what he called his “clean record” after serving as Attorney General and Minister of Justice for two successive presidents.
The ex-governor also talked about how Senator George Akume influenced Benue politics and made three governors following his time in office. He asked people to pray for Nigerian politicians to make choices that would be good for the country.
About the Author
