The Benue State Governor, Mr Samuel Ortom, has denied reports of herdsmen killings of Tiv farmers in Jato-Aka of Kwande Local Council, following the outbreak of civil unrest between the youths and some soldiers last week.
Governor Ortom cleared the air during an expanded Security Council meeting with elders and traditional rulers from Sankera axis, saying that security reports indicated that there were no fresh killings in Jato-Aka.
He, however noted that there is need for security investigation of the renewed herdsmen killings in four out of the five council wards in Turan/Jato-Aka, a border community with Moon District where herdsmen have taken over since 2013.
Meanwhile, the governor expressed his displeasure and warned against unverified media reports of the herdsmen/farmers crisis.
“I can’t just act on rumours that people are being killed. It is not fair when you see pictures that people were killed in Kaduna and posted as pictures of people killed in Benue state, it is not fair to us. Please let us try and verify these facts, we are on top of the situation.
“I just concluded a meeting with my security council and the entire traditional rulers from that area and nobody is talking about killings. We recovered a gun that was missing from the 93 Battalion and we brought it and handed over to the Commander 72 Battalion here in Makurdi and we did not hear about report of killings”.
The expanded Security Council meeting according to governor, revealed that criminal elements were responsible for the weeks of violent gunmen attacks in Zaki-Biam and the entire Sankera axis of the state.
He therefore reiterated his administration’s resolve to flush them out.
