Governor Ortom says killing of farmers barbaric, horrendous

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has described last Sunday’s gruesome murder of farmers in Igama community Edumoga, Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state by suspected armed herdsmen as barbaric and horrendous.

He warned that the citizens of the state may resort to self-help if the authorities refuse to protect them from the incessant killings.

According to Samuel Ortom, the people of the state are not cowards and are law-abiding, saying that even the laws of the land allows for self defence.

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It has been reported that suspected armed herders had stormed the Edumoga community Sunday morning while the victims were preparing for church service, leaving no fewer than 15 persons dead while all the houses in the community were set ablaze with others injured.

Nathaniel Ikyur, Chief Press Secretary to the governor in a statement, said Governor Samuel Ortom described the murderers as “cowards and criminals who must be fished out and prosecuted without delay”.

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Governor Ortom stated, “When I started shouting about the menace of killer herdsmen in my state, many people thought l was playing to the gallery. Gradually, this has spread to all other parts of the country because the federal government has refused to act appropriately and decisively against them.”

The governor noted that it is the reason they have continued with impunity, stressing that it has clearly shown that the killing of the innocent farmers in Edumoga, Okpokwu LGA is yet another barbaric act by Fulani herdsmen as they must not go unpunished.

According to the governor, the peaceful attitude of Benue people, who accommodate others, should not be taken for granted, adding that the law must take its course to apprehend the criminal elements no matter how long it took even as he urged his people to remain law-abiding.