Benue Crisis: No Plans To Hire Mediator – Govt

Benue State government yesterday said there is no plans to a hire a mediator over the crisis ravaging the state.

A statement issued by the Special Adviser, Media and ICT to the governor, Mr Tahav Agerzua, urged the general public to ignore  reports suggesting that the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, plans to hire a negotiator to mediate between the state government and herdsmen.

“Some of the reports attributed their source to a purported letter written to the governor by an indigene who resides outside the state,” Agerzua said in the statement.

He said Ortom has not received such a letter, adding that the contents are obvious mischief and diversion from a serious challenge confronting the people of the state.

“There is no basis whatsoever for governor Samuel Ortom to hire any negotiator or mediator to tackle the current security challenges in the state as he was already providing support to the conventional federal security agencies whose duty it is to protect lives and property to end the crisis.”

“The claim that the governor brought in Mrs Aisha Wakil, alias Mama Boko Haram, to Benue State for purposes of mediation is also false and mischievous.”

“Mrs Wakil visited the state recently in company of the national leadership of the Boys Scouts and governor Ortom’s interaction with her did not go beyond that public occasion.”

“Besides, the current security challenges in the state have been aggravated by sponsors of armed herdsmen militia who have openly vowed to resist the validly enacted Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017,” the statement added.