Buhari flays Ortom, says he cannot deny his Fulani identity

President Muhammadu Buhari has again hit Samuel Ortom, the Governor of Benue , whose state is the hotbed of herders killings in the country.

“The governor of Benue said I cannot discipline the cattle rearers because I am one of them. I cannot deny that I am one of them,” Mr Buhari said during an interview with Arise TV on Thursday morning.

He also tasked state governors to rise up to the challenges facing their states, recalling how he sent back a southern governor to his state after submitting reports of violence.

“These governors campaigned and won elections, they should be able to sort out issues arising in their localities, not running to the presidency,” Mr Buhari said.

The president said he had instructed that all old grazing routes be re-opened and taxes paid, as a measure to resolve the hostilities between farmers and herders.

The Presidency and Mr Ortom had in the past engaged in brickbats with the governor accusing the president of abandoning the state to its challenges.

Mr Ortom, through letters and press statements, repeatedly called on the president to immediately proffer solutions to the crisis in the state lest it suffers from a full blown anarchy.

Herders-farmers clashes have claimed several lives in Benue in recent months.

As a result of the wanton killings, many communities have been in disarray and residents seeking refuge in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, scattered across the state.

The situation in Benue reflects the security challenges bedevilling the six-geopolitical zones of the country.

This newspaper had on Sunday reported how no fewer than 201 were killed and 137 abducted in violent attacks across the country last week