Kenneth Afor
Mohammed Adamu, the Inspector-General of Police, has directed Jimoh Ozi-Obeh, the Commissioner of Police in Benue State, to carry out a full-scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack on Samuel Ortom, Governor of Benue State, at a farm on the outskirts of Makurdi, the state capital, on Saturday.
The IGP also ordered the arrest and prosecution of the attackers.
These were made known in a statement issued by Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer, on Sunday.
Noting that Adamu condemned the attack, Mba said the IGP also directed the commissioner of police to put in place adequate measures towards strengthening and improving security in the state, particularly around the governor.
The statement read: “The IGP has also specifically directed the CP to carry out painstaking investigations into the incident and ensure the arrest and prosecution of persons indicted in the course of the investigations.
“Meanwhile, in order to ensure a speedy, thorough and conclusive investigation into the matter, the IGP has ordered the immediate deployment of a team of specialized investigators from the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Abuja, to Benue State to provide additional investigative support to the Benue State Police Command.”
Adamu, however, appealed for calm, assuring the people of Benue State and the country that the Force would continue to do its best in stabilizing the security situation in the country.
Governor Ortom was at his farm with six security operatives when some unidentified gunmen numbering about 15 reportedly fired at them.
The governor said his men fired back at the gunmen, who he described as armed herdsmen, before being led into his vehicle parked about a kilometre away.
He accused the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), which opposed the anti-open grazing law passed by the state government, of being responsible for the attempted assassination.
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