By CEPHAS IORHEMEN

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, yesterday spoke against the rampant killing of his people by armed Fulani militants, advising the people of the state to carry arms to defend themselves from their attackers. He said the killing of innocent people in the state had gone on for too long and that the people can no longer sit and watch aliens invade, massacre the people and go scot free. Governor Ortom, who spoke with journalists in Makurdi, shortly on arrival from the PDP governors’ meeting held in Ibadan, Oyo State, said he had upgraded all women to be men to join in the battle to fight the worsening insurgency bedevilling the state. The governor was reacting to pockets of killings in Guma, Gwer-West, Gwer East and Makurdi Local Government Areas, where dozens of people were massacred by invading armed herdsmen.

He said: “I tell you the truth, everybody in Benue State should be armed to defend themselves; and as Governor of Benue State, I have upgraded all women to be men, everybody should have something to defend themselves with. “I am not going to be talking about killings again, you cannot sit in your house and allow anybody to just come and kill you and go back and think you will be happy with that. “I have told my people, defend yourselves; even the Minister of Defence, what did he say, he said people should defend themselves,so why can’t my people defend themselves.

“People should rise up, if you don’t have the lawful weapons that are available, go to your labour and get it and that’s all.” Governor Ortom described the Ibadan meeting as a wonderful one, stressing that it afforded PDP governors the opportunity to advise President Muhammadu Buhari to give attention to the worsening security situation and the economic downturn in the country. He regretted that Nigerians, including those of them in leadership positions, were suffering, stressing the need for the citizens, irrespective of political differences, to close ranks to pull the country out of the precipice.

Nigerians are suffering, all of us are suffering, including the leaders. We are not comfortable with what is happening and we must put partisanship aside to address this issue if we want to survive as a nation.” (Text from New Telegraph)