Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has led a delegation of Northern Governors Forum to persuade Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue not to quit the forum over recent killings in his state.
Suspected Fulani herdsmen murdered 73 persons in the state on New Year’s Day.
Other members of the delegation include Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Simon Lalong (Plateau).
According to Shettima, the governors had visited Ortom in his office in Makurdi to commiserate with him over the killings.
However, some other guests reportedly started murmuring midway into Shettima’s speech, accusing him of not mentioning Fulani herdsmen or condemning the killing.
Shettima subsequently accused South West and South South leaders of coming to visit Ortom over the killings in order to score cheap political points.
The Deputy Governor of Osun State, Otunba Grace Titilayo Laoye also visited the Benue governor.