A former Governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom, on Monday accused his successor, Governor Hyacinth Alia of playing politics with the lingering insecurity bedeviling the state.

Ortom said he watched with utmost shock and sadness, a video clip in which Alia was addressing a congregation at NKST Church Ikpayongo in Gwer East Local Government Area on Sunday, where he claimed that since he assumed office, armed men have stopped attacking and killing people in the state.

He said the governor also leveled several lies against him (Ortom) whom he accused of feigning the 2021 assassination attempt on his life, adding that Alia stated that unlike during the previous administration when there were daily reports of mass killings, his tenure has witnessed absolute peace across the state, as attacks have ended and the people now go about their normal activities.

?While we may not bother with the theatrics of the Governor and his inclination towards obfuscation, we find it rather sad and unfortunate that he did so this time standing before a church congregation in Gwer East, one of the local government areas which have suffered some of the worst attacks under his watch with many people killed, others injured and property worth billions destroyed. The people of Gwer who were in that church must have felt grossly dismayed on hearing such words coming from a man who is their governor.

?There have been uncountable mass burials during Alia?s administration in many parts of the state as a result of attacks by herdsmen in Zone A, Zone B and Zone C, particularly in Ukum, Logo, Katsina-Ala, Kwande, Gwer East, Gwer West, Guma, Makurdi, Agatu, Otukpo among others. This government only attempts to conceal the truth about the killings and mass burials.

?The difference between the immediate past Governor, Chief Ortom and Governor Alia is that while the former stood against injustice and strongly fought the agenda of pastoralists who wanted to occupy Benue lands as theirs, his successor does not want the world to know that Benue people are still under attacks and wanton killings have been taking place in communities of the state on a higher level during his time,? the former governor posited.

Ortom in the statement by his media aide, Terver Akase, urged Governor Alia to apologise to the people of Benue State for his insensitivity in claiming there are no more attacks in the state, especially when many have been traumatised after burying their loved ones.

Responding, Tersoo Kula, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Alia, challenged the former governor to take a walk through his home local government of Guma which was the epicenter of armed attacks when he hailed sway to power and see things for himself ? how the people have returned home to pick up the pieces of their lives.

Kula said, his principal did not lie about the present security of the state, noting that relative peace as cited by Governor Alia had indeed returned to the state despite pockets of attacks in some local government areas. (Daily Trust)

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