The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has been hit by a serious accusation by the Governor of Benue state Samuel Ortom who believes that the top policeman is in cahoots with the deadly Fulani herdsmen.
In a statement by Terver Akase, Ortom’s spokesperson, the governor said also accused Idris of defying the directive from President Buhari to go to Benue and end the Herdsmen crisis.
According to Ortom, Idris was only there for a day and then left. He said that Idris is now the shield of the herdsmen rather than the protector of the people.
In his statement he said, “It will be recalled that a few days after the killings took place and all fingers were pointed towards the direction of armed herdsmen, the IGP quickly rose in defence of the herdsmen and frantically tried to divert attention from the genocide being perpetrated by herdsmen with a comment that it was a ‘mere communal clash’.
“Did he not know that there was a law in place in Benue state when he made that statement?
“With his latest demand that the ranching law of Benue be suspended, it is now clear where the loyalty and interest of the Inspector-General of Police lies – certainly not with innocent Nigerians.
“He has now positioned himself not only as the mouthpiece of those who are killing Benue people but indeed as their shield. Little wonder herdsmen still proudly carry about sophisticated weapons and willfully terrorize innocent people in the state without being arrested.
“We wish to place it on record that contrary to the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that the Inspector-General of Police should relocate to Benue to ensure that the killings stop, the IGP spent only one day in Benue and left for a destination where only he could tell. No one has seen him in Benue since that day.
“Nigerians must know that contrary to the statement credited to the IGP, herdsmen are still killing people in Benue. It will therefore be wrong to say that enough security has been provided.
“At the last count after the mass burial of 73 victims of the attacks, about ten people have been killed in Guma local government area, one killed in Logo and many more are receiving treatment in the hospital having suffered varying degrees of injuries with property worth millions of naira destroyed.
“Benue now has nearly 100, 000 displaced persons in seven camps established by the state government. We therefore find IG Ibrahim Idris’ statement as mockery and a shameful dance on the graves of those killed in the state by herdsmen.”