Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State at the weekend said though the state was under siege of armed herdsmen, there was no need for anyone to cry or complain anymore except for the people to stand up and defend themselves in order to live.

He said the people of the state have had enough of the killings, sacking and looting of communities stressing that even Israel, the chosen heritage of God would not allow her people to be killed in such a manner without defence.

The Governor spoke during a funeral oration in honour of Mama Enenu Ebute, mother of Justice Mary Abounu, wife of the Benue State Deputy Governor, Mr Benson Abounu at Adoka, Otukpo Local Government Area of the state.

He was reacting to the surge in the spate of attacks and killings in parts of the state by armed herdsmen militia, the displacement of farmers in the state and the danger it posed to food security in the country.

Lamenting, the governor pointed out that “already, over hundreds of villages in Benue State have been sacked and over one million of our people displaced by the marauding herdsmen which portends danger for our state which is the Food Basket of the Nation.

“At the moment we are facing a serious food crisis since our farmers can no longer go to the farms to cultivate their crops because they are being killed by these terrorists. We have had enough of this, we cannot continue to cry and we must all defend ourselves. You cannot continue to sit in your homes and allow these people to come in and kill you.”

While calling on the people of the state to jettison partisanship and join hands with his government to salvage the state from the invaders, the Governor urged patriotic Nigerians to speak up against the ills tearing the country apart. He also pointed out that support and synergy with security agents was imperative in the fight against the worsening insecurity in the country and urged that all hands must be on deck to salvage the country.
(Vanguard)

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