Benue gov, IGP disagree over investigative team report

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Friday said the submission of the acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, contradicted the report of the investigative team on the assassination attempt on the governor.

Alkali had on Thursday told journalists in Abuja that “investigations so far show that the outcome is contrary to the claims made by the governor”.

But reacting to the statement, Ortom, through his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, said he believed the IGP was misquoted. He said the police team confirmed the identities of the attackers as armed Fulani herdsmen.

“This is because the investigative team the office of the IGP deployed to Benue after the assassination attempt on the governor confirmed the identities of the attackers as armed Fulani herdsmen.

“It is therefore shocking that the IGP has come out with a contrary statement to that of his investigative team,” the statement read in part.

t added, “Less than 24 hours after the attempt on the governor’s life, the group called Fulani Nationality Movement, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group’s statement was widely reported by the media.

“Yet, the police IG was still searching for the killers elsewhere without inviting members of the group for questioning.

“This scenario was succinctly captured by Punch in its cartoon of March 22, 2021, regarding the attack on Governor Ortom.”