The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency over the insecurity pervading Nigeria.
Ortom made the demand following the killing of seven persons by suspected herdsmen during an attack on an Internally Displaced Persons camp in Abagena community, Benue State.
He said: “My colleagues, the governors, must rise and impress on the president to call a security summit, if possible, to declare a state of emergency on security so that all hands will be on deck to address the situation in the country.
“Seven dead bodies have so far been counted with many others injured after armed Fulani herdsmen attacked Abagena community housing Internally Displaced Persons camp in Makurdi Local Area of Benue State.”
Ortom described the attack as barbaric and unacceptable when he visited the camp.
He called on President Buhari to act fast to stem the tide of continued killings by suspected herdsmen across the country.
He said the patience of the people had been overstretched, adding: “You have all seen what is happening within the last two weeks.
“We have lost over 70 people in Guma, Makurdi and Gwer West LGAs alone, in addition to what you have seen here.
“Many are in the hospital apart from the seven that were killed.
“But I want to say that our patience is being overstretched in spite of our preaching of rule of law and due process.
“You can see that the people are fed up.
“Mr. President must rise up; he is the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“He has taken oath of office to secure and protect lives and property.
“This is not acceptable, this cannot continue.
“Mr. President must rise up and address the nation.
“We are being overstretched and the people are fed up.
“We all voted President Buhari.
“He must not continue to be aloof.
“He must tell us where we are going in this country.
“This is too much.
“The body language of the President shows that he is the president of the Fulani people.
“I have written to him on this, yet he has not done anything about it.
“We are now in a banana republic.
“This falsehood must stop.
“The President must address us and not him sending Garba Shehu to address us.
“It is better for me not to be alive than to see this kind of shame.
“Governors must arise to ensure that state of emergency is declared on security.
“Just like the First Lady (Aisha Buhari) asked sometimes ago that where are the men in this country?
“The governors must work hard to salvage this country, otherwise tomorrow we will wake up and there will be no country.
“Goat does not bite, but when it is pushed to the wall it would bite.
“This government is not being proactive.”