Ortom to herdsmen: Respect Benue laws or go and carry AK-47 in Bauchi

Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom,  has warned herdsmen against disobeying laws guiding the use of arms in the state.

Ortom, who said this on Monday, asked the herdsmen to either respect Bauchi laws or go and carry AK-47 in Bauchi State.

Governor of Bauchi, Bala Mohammed,  had justified the carriage of AK-47 by herdsmen, saying that was the only option herdsmen have for self-defence.

While clarifying the statement which generated criticism, the Bauchi governor said AK-47 was used as a ‘figure of speech’.

Ortom berated Bala, saying that he was beginning to think that the Bauchi governor is a “part of the terrorist Fulani organisation terrorising the country”.

The Benue governor told the herdsmen that they could live anywhere in Nigeria  provided that they would be law-abiding.

Ortom said, “Nigeria is not governed anyhow. It is not a Banana Republic. It is governed by the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria. The constitution gives power to all our governors in all the states to preside over the land of their states on behalf of the people, and they’re the only people who can give allocation and can permit people to stay where they are. And so, bandits cannot find a forest and come in to hide under that forest. Punch