Group Tackles Presidency Over Ortom's Security

The Forum of Concerned Nigerians (FCN) has issued a warning to the Federal Government on the safety of the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, stating that any attempt on his life would be met with resistance.

The group spokesman, Peter Shande Peter, made this known on Monday at a press briefing in Makurdi, calling on the International community to act on the alarm raised by the governor concerning the state of insecirity in the country. 

The group pointed out that Governor Ortom has come under a heavy wave of sponsored blackmail and victimisation from the Federal Government and its agents, citing a series of instances where Ortom has been severely subjected to media attacks and other forms of threats including attempts to eliminate him.

"We have carefully watched the Buhari administration and its agents serially use the media to threaten and vilify the person and office of the Benue State Governor. This is unacceptable.

"What is Ortom’s offence? Is it a crime to choose to stand with one’s people in the face of brazen injustice, oppression and impunity?

"Since 2017, Governor Ortom has come under a heavy wave of sponsored blackmail and victimisation from the Federal Government and its willing agents," the group lamented.

"Governor Ortom is one Nigerian who has chosen to be the voice of the voiceless so any attempt at silencing him will mean an attempt to silence over 200 million helpless Nigerians, and such an attempt will be stoutly resisted.

"We will not fail to warn the Presidency that we are watching keenly and nothing must happen to Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom.

"Nigeria is in a coma and anyone who is pretending about it is living in self denial. 

"The government of President Muhammadu Buhari has failed the people of the country and his administration is clearly complicit in the spate of violence across the country and the killing of innocent people." 

The group called on the international community to intervene in the situation, saying: "We expect the United States, the United Kingdom and other world powers to intervene in the security situation in Nigeria without further delay."

They added that establishing a Special Envoy on Nigeria would be a good place to begin.