A civil society group, the Sanctity Transparency Peace Initiative (STPI) has warned the police to ensure nothing negative happens to Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom in the wake of altercation between him and the police top hierarchy.
Ortom and the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, had exchanged words after the police boss blamed the anti-open grazing law in the state for the herdsmen crises.
The Police Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, had also incurred widespread condemnation after he described the governor as a “drowning man”.
But in a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting on Friday, the Abuja-based group queried the rationale behind the FPRO calling a sitting governor a drowning man, saying it was a sign of complicity with the herdsmen attacking some communities in the state.
While condemning the IGP’s initial statement describing the crises as communal clash, the communiqué signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Mr. Sunday Alakho, also faulted the IGP for blaming the anti-open grazing law.
The group wondered if there was an anti-open grazing bill in Plateau and some other states also attacked by herdsmen.
The group further demanded a public explanation for the “drowning man” appellation, saying it could be interpreted to mean the safety of the governor was endangered.
STPI called on the police boss to publicly pronounce that Ortom is save.