Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, had narrated how he escaped from the suspected Fulani bandits after they rounded up his farm at Tyo-Mu community, near Makurdi, the state capital.
Ortom explained that they were preparing to return to Makurdi when the bandits struck.
The visibly shaken governor said that he ran close to two kilometres to escape being assassinated by the rampaging terrorists.
“I appreciate the security personnel attached to me, they were able to repel them and they could not have access to me.
“I thank God for my fitness too. To be able to run for close to two kilometres without stopping, means that God has given me strength, and I am grateful to God”.
Ortom said that he has no problem with any Fulani man or the Fulani race, but with Fulani bandits, who have vowed to take over Nigeria as their ancestral home.
“And I say no, not when I am here as governor leading my state. I am not concerned about other states, any state that wants to give their land and themselves to be slaves to Fulani men. I have no problem with them but, in my state, I have consulted with my people and what I am doing is in line with the wishes of my people, and on that I stand.
“My lawyer is here, he is going to make a petition against the leadership of Miyetti Allah because they came out to target me and, behind the scenes, they are planning to eliminate me in my own land. “If I can’t go to the farm as governor with the entire security around me, then who else can go to the farm? You can imagine the pains that we have here in Benue State.
Ortom said that the attackers who were more than 15 in number were dressed in black attire and shot sporadically on sighting him and his security men.
According to him, the incident happened around 11:00 am on Saturday at his farm along Makurdi/Gboko road.
He noted that though, his security men were able to repel the attackers, he still had to call for reinforcement of troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, policemen and State Security Servicemen.
Ortom said that he heard from intelligence report that the Miyeitti Allah had held a meeting in Yola, capital city of Adamawa and had singled him out to be killed and submitted that the attack on him on Saturday was a manifestation of their meeting.
The governor lamented that with the huge security around him to have been attacked, he wondered what ordinary people of the state will pass through.
