Ortom Criticizes Delayed Action on Tinubu’s Security Directives After Benue Massacre
Weeks after President Bola Tinubu visited Benue State and called for urgent collaboration to address escalating violence, former Governor Samuel Ortom says no concrete steps have been taken to implement the directives.
Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has voiced concern over the lack of follow-through on President Bola Tinubu’s call for coordinated action to tackle the security crisis in Benue.
During a Channels Television interview on Monday, Ortom disclosed that no meeting has been held since Tinubu’s visit on June 18, where he urged former leaders and traditional rulers to work with Governor Hyacinth Alia following the brutal Yelewata attack that left over 100 people dead.
“We have not had any meeting,” Ortom stated. “Maybe we are still waiting for the governor to call us. Benue belongs to us all, and we cannot continue to watch this carnage.”
He emphasized the personal impact of the tragedy, revealing that the attack occurred in his local government area. “Over 200 people were killed in Yelewata. That is where my paternal grandmother comes from it’s my home.”
Reflecting on his tenure, Ortom said he consistently collaborated with traditional rulers, security forces, and communities to confront violent attacks.
He also criticized policies such as Ruga settlements and cattle colonies introduced under former President Buhari, calling them deceptive. “They were camouflage to deceive Nigerians. I opposed them with facts and global comparisons,” he said.
Ortom further claimed that many attacks in the state were orchestrated by foreign mercenaries from countries like Chad, Niger, Mali, Senegal, and Libya, with local complicity. “It’s a deliberate attempt to take over our land and wipe out a people,” he warned.
Despite his frustration with the current inaction, Ortom commended President Tinubu for visiting the victims and ordering security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators—something he says the previous government failed to do.
