Tag: Samuel Ortom

Gunmen attack Benue governor, Ortom

Aminu Imam

…Open fire on his convoy Gunmen, suspected to be bandits, yesterday opened fire on the convoy of Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom. The attack on the Governor occurred at Tyo Mu, along Makurdi-Gboko road, around noon. It was gathered that the Governor was on his way to Makurdi when the gunmen opened fire on his convoy but were repelled by his security men. Briefing journalists, Ortom, who described the gunmen as ‘herdsmen’, said about 15 of the attackers trailed him to the river bank where he was on foot. He…

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Just In: Benue Gov.Ortom escape assassination as gunmen open fire on his convoy

Aminu Imam

Gunmen, suspected to be bandits, on Saturday opened fire on the convoy of Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom. The attack on the Governor occurred at Tyo Mu, along Makurdi/Gboko road, around noon. It was gathered that the Governor was on his way to Makurdi when the gunmen opened fire on his convoy but were repelled by his security men. At the time of this report, the Governor, who is still in shock, is expected to address the media on the development. Details to follow…

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‘Be careful, Bala Moh’d not among terrorist govs.’, Fani-Kayode replies Ortom

Aminu Imam

The former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, says it is uncharitable for Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State to label his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed, as a ‘terrorist governor’. Fani-Kayode made this known in a string of tweets on Monday night, hours after Ortom called Mohammed a Fulani terror member for saying herdsmen bear AK-47 rifles for self-defence. Fani-Kayode wrote, “To call Bala a terrorist is unacceptable and erroneous. I doubt that has ever killed a chicken let alone a human being. “We must choose our battles wisely and…

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‘Foreign herders holding Nigerians to ransom’ – Gov. Ortom

Aminu Imam

Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari to push for a review of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) protocol for movement of persons, goods and services within the sub-region. Ortom, who made the call at a media briefing in Abuja yesterday, noted that foreign herders were taking undue advantage of the protocol to fuel insecurity in Nigeria. The governor said, “In neighbouring countries like Ghana and Benin, people are properly profiled before they are allowed into the county. People coming into Nigeria…

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Benue govt. bans Christmas, New Year picnic activities

Aminu Imam

The 2020 Christmas and New Year celebrations will be a dull affair in Benue, as the State government yesterday announced a ban on all picnic-related activities during the yuletide season.  This was the decision taken by the Benue Security Council in response to the increasing cases of COVID-19 in the State at its meeting yesterday. The State governor, Samuel Ortom, who spoke to journalists at the end of the meeting in Makurdi, said the ban on picnics and other forms of celebrations was necessary to prevent further spread of the…

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Water Resources Bill: I’ll take NASS to court, Ortom threatens

Ishaku Yohanna

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has threatened to institute legal action against the National Assembly if it continues deliberation on the National Water Resources Bill which was thrown out by the Assembly in 2018 but allegedly reintroduced. The governor made this position known on Monday during a courtesy visit on him by the new leadership of the Tiv socio-cultural group, “Mzough U Tiv’, led by its president, General Iorbee Ihagh (Comptroller of Prison (rtd)) at the government house, Makurdi. According to Governor Ortom, “a bill that was out rightly…

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Insecurity: Allow responsible people to carry AK-47 for protection, Ortom tells FG

Ishaku Yohanna

Governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, has asked the federal government to allow “responsible” Nigerians to be in the possession of “sophisticated weapons” like AK-47. Ortom made the recommendation when he presented a paper at a virtual meeting convened by Centre for Values in Leadership, CVL, in collaboration with Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). The governor said while the law allows the possession of double barrel and dane guns, the duo are not sophisticated enough to confront criminals who are better armed. He said if citizens are well armed, they can defend…

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Miyetti Allah threatens to sue Ortom over establishment of vigilante outfit

Ishaku Yohanna

The Miyetti Allah Kyautal Hore has threatened to drag the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, to court over his recent comment on the plan by the group to establish a security outfit called “Miyetti Allah Vigilante.” The group had penultimate week announced its plan to set up the security outfit to operate nationwide. But in a statement on July 30, 2020 by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, the governor said in as much as he did not have any problem with the group floating a security outfit in other…

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