- Ortom: Benue has no hand in bombing
Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia and George Okoh in Makurdi
Suspected Fulani herdsmen have reportedly taken vengeance to Tiv farmers of Nasarawa State following a recent bombardment of persons said to be herders on the boundary of Benue/Nasarawa States.This is just as the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has said it was mischievous to link his government to killings.
However, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa had explained a drone was used to drop the bomb that killed 27 herdsmen in Kwateri, saying the bomb was not dropped by a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft as being speculated in some quarters.
But the Tiv community of Nasarawa State yesterday alleged that there was ongoing attacks and killings of innocent Tiv people by suspected armed herdsmen across the southern part of Nasarawa State as a vengeance for the recent bombardment.
President of Tiv Development Association (TIDA) in Nasarawa State, Mr. Peter Ahemba, raised the alarm yesterday when speaking with journalists in Lafia, hence he appealed to both the federal and Nasarawa state governments to urgently intervene and halt the ongoing attacks and killings.
He alleged further that the Tiv people had been targeted and singled out for attacks by heavily armed herdsmen, stressing that scores of innocent Tiv farmers have so far been murdered and displaced from their communities across Doma, Keana and Obi Local Government Areas of the state.
Ahemba pointed out that intelligence report at the disposal of the leadership of TIDA indicated that the heavily armed herders were mobilising to launch more deadly attacks on Tiv settlements across the southern zone and parts of Kokona and Nasarawa Local Government Areas of the state to ensure total extermination of the Tiv nation in the state.
He said: “Scores of our people have so far been massacred by armed herders in the last few days and thousands displaced from across Doma, Keana and Obi LGAs of the state”
“Chabo village has completely been reduced to ashes. A deadly attack was launched on Ajo village in Keana LGA, just as the entire Tiv population in Doma has been displaced while many others trapped in remote villages are being killed,” the TIDA President claimed.
He described the attacks on the Tiv farmers as barbaric, noting that the Tiv people of the state knew nothing about the recent airstrike which was being used as reason for the massive killings of the Tiv farmers and destruction of their property.
“We call on the federal and state governments to come to our aid by deploying adequate security operatives to our settlements in the affected LGAs. Our people are still trapped and all escape roots blocked by the herders, who are now slaughtering them like animals,” Ahemba alleged.
Meanwhile, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has described as mischievous, allegations linking his government to the killings from an air raid on a settlement in Nasarawa State.
The governor stated that neither him or his government had a hand in the unfortunate incident.
He maintained that he did not order anyone to carry out such act, insisting that he has no such powers to order such an air raid operation which resulted in the killings.
Governor Ortom spoke yesterday during a Thanksgiving Mass for the official inauguration of a Parish House built by him at Holy Cross Parish, Ogbolokuta, Ulayi in Ado Local Government Area.
He explained that contrary to the wrong narrative being peddled, it may have been as a result of intelligence gathered by the military high command.
The governor, who wondered why he would be linked to the incident, said it was pure mischief for anyone to attempt to rope him into what he had no knowledge of.
Speaking on the hostilities between the people of Ezza community of Ado local government and their neighbouring Ebonyi State, the governor said he was working in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi to end the incessant conflict between the two brothers.
He disclosed that the peace meeting between the two state governments will be held in the area as a show of commitment to bring the crises to a stop so that the people will return to their homes.
Ortom told people that boundaries were meant for administrative convenience and not to divide people.
According to him, the Ezza people, though Igbo speaking, were bonafide indigenes of Benue State and must be protected by the government.
He also assured them that there was an ongoing process for the amendment of the chieftaincy law of the state, saying, “Ezza community must also be given the opportunity to lead their people” through the appointment of traditional rulers.
He directed the Chairman of Ado local government council, Hon James Oche to ensure presentation on the matter during public hearing for review of the chieftaincy law.
Ortom urged the people who deserted their homes as a result of the hostilities to return to their places and be vigilant in reporting any security breach, assuring that able bodied young men from Ezza community will be drafted into the next batch of the State Community Volunteer Guards to help curb insecurity.
He particularly commended the Parish Priest of Holy Cross Catholic Church Ogbolokuta, Rev. Fr Solomon Ujah and the Diocese of Otukpo for their resilience in helping to keep the Ezza community despite the several security challenges in the area.
Earlier in a homily, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Otukpo, Most Rev. Michael Ekwoyi Apochi encouraged the faithful to imbibe doing works of charity to fellow human beings, stating that doing so was to God Himself on which account entry into heaven will be determined.
Bishop Apochi whose message was focused on the beatitudes as taken from the gospel of Matthew 5:1-12 stated that the beatitudes offer the comfort to rise from our sense of inhumanity, injustice, oppression of the poor, bad leadership as well as bad followership, admonishing that Christians should use the beatitudes to rise against personal failures and sinfulness.
In his welcome remarks, the Parish Priest of Holy Cross Catholic Church Ogbolokuta, Rev. Fr. Ujah expressed profound appreciation to Governor Ortom for building a Parish House for the Church and prayed to God to reward his sacrifice.
He also appealed to the Governor to further look into the challenges of the Ezza community, which he pointed out was ravaged by insecurity, lack of access road, as well as non-existence of a health facility to serve the community.
