Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue has slammed the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, accusing the security chief of being loyal to the alleged herdsmen that had attacked residents of his state and their properties.

Ortom also accused Idris of disobeying the order of President Muhammadu Buhari to relocate to Benue and end the carnage adding that the police boss only spent a day in the state and leaving for where only he can explain.

The governor said after Idris’ first appearance in Benue, nobody had seen him in the state since then. He also said contrary to the IGP’s claim, killings of residents have continued.

In a statement sent through Terver Akase, his spokesperson, the governor said: “It will be recalled that a few days after the killings took place and all fingers were pointed towards the direction of armed herdsmen, the IGP quickly rose in defence of the herdsmen and frantically tried to divert attention from the genocide being perpetrated by herdsmen with a comment that it was a ‘mere communal clash’.

“Did he not know that there was a law in place in Benue state when he made that statement?

“With his latest demand that the ranching law of Benue be suspended, it is now clear where the loyalty and interest of the Inspector-General of Police lies – certainly not with innocent Nigerians.

“He has now positioned himself not only as the mouthpiece of those who are killing Benue people but indeed as their shield. Little wonder herdsmen still proudly carry about sophisticated weapons and willfully terrorize innocent people in the state without being arrested.

“We wish to place it on record that contrary to the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that the Inspector-General of Police should relocate to Benue to ensure that the killings stop, the IGP spent only one day in Benue and left for a destination where only he could tell. No one has seen him in Benue since that day.

“Nigerians must know that contrary to the statement credited to the IGP, herdsmen are still killing people in Benue. It will therefore be wrong to say that enough security has been provided.

“At the last count after the mass burial of 73 victims of the attacks, about ten people have been killed in Guma local government area, one killed in Logo and many more are receiving treatment in the hospital having suffered varying degrees of injuries with property worth millions of naira destroyed.

“Benue now has nearly 100, 000 displaced persons in seven camps established by the state government. We therefore find IG Ibrahim Idris’ statement as mockery and a shameful dance on the graves of those killed in the state by herdsmen.”

Ortom reminded Idris that the constitutional responsibility of the police is to maintain law and order and not to make or criticise same.

“That the IGP would have the audacity to blame a law made to ensure peace in the state and call for its repeal amounts to taking sides with lawless groups that gave notice to invade and carried out their threats.

“There is no surprise that the police ignored petitions for the arrest and prosecution of leaders of the Miyetti Allah Kautal, the masterminds of the current invasion and the attendant massacre.

“If the Inspector-General of Police, Idris is not competent to help bring an end to the invasion and killing of innocent people in Benue and other states by herdsmen, the noble thing to do is to resign instead of twisting facts to suit his objective,” he added.

NAIJ.com earlier reported that IGP Ibrahim Idris, had during his meeting with the Senate reportedly blamed the renewed tension in Benue state on Governor Samuel Ortom’s statement during the burial of the initial 73 victims.

A source who spoke to Daily Trust claimed that the IGP told the senate committee investigating the herdsmen crisis that the display of victims of the herdsmen and farmers clashes during their burial was another reason the crisis escalated.

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Governor Ortom replies IGP Idris, says police boss’ loyalty is with herdsmen and not victims of attacks