Ortom Orders Immediate Burial Of Slain IDPs

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom yesterday directed the chairman of Guma local government area of the state, Mike Uba, to laisse with traditional rulers of Ngbian in Nyiev Council ward for immediate burial of the about 40 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and other people killed during the attack on LGED Primary School, Ngbian on Friday night.

This is as the governor during a visit to the camp sympathised with the district head of Nyiev who lost his two children alongside 36 IDPs to armed men suspected to be marauding herdsmen.

The governor also visited the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) Makurdi where 39 IDPs who were injured are currently receiving treatment and directed the chief medical director, Prof. Terrumun Swende, to ensure the treatment of all as he said the state government would pay all their bills.

The governor commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his condolence letter to people of the state and immediate families of those who lost their loved ones both in Omogidi and Ngbian in Otukpo and Guma.

“I must commend the president for commiserating with us but it shouldn’t stop at sending condolence messages to Benue people only, he should as a matter of urgency give instructions to security agencies to fish out these terrorists and bring them to book.

“How can you again attack, kill and pursue people from their ancestral homes and then you come again where they are taking refuge to kill them, this is unlawful, it is sad that our people are facing this in their ancestral homes, this is condemnable, within two days we have recorded 46 people in Omogidi and 38 in Nyiev, and these attacks are happening without provocation,” he said.

Narrating what happened, the district head of Nyiev, Chief Bernard Shaws, said they were all asleep and about 10pm they heard sounds of gunshots but because they were inside they didn’t know exactly where it was coming form and before they could know they heard people crying only for him to observe that the herders have entered the primary school where some IDPs were taking refuge.

“When we noticed that the herders were already at the IDP camp which is beside my house, that was when all of us started running into the bush for safety but unfortunately, they caught two of my children and slaughtered them,” he said.

The governor warned those who won elections in Benue State and are bent on repealing the anti-grazing law to wait for their time, even as he said; “I am still the governor of Benue State till may 29, 2023.”