How I Escaped Near-Death Attack, Governor Ortom Opens up
- The governor of Benue, Samuel Ortom, has committed his life into the hands of God
- Ortom said this after his convoy was attacked on Saturday, March 20, by some armed criminals
- Benue's governor revealed that it took the quick response of his security detail to save him from being killed
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Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue has recounted the near-death attack from gunmen along the Makurdi/Gboko road in the Makurdi local government area of the state on Saturday, March 20.
According to BBC Pidgin, Ortom said the assailants who attacked the convoy close to his farmland were about 15 in number with the chief aim to kill him.
Also, ThisDay reports during the attack, the governor had to run about 1.5 kilometers to escape being hurt, adding worse things would have happened if not for the swift intervention of his security detail.
Source: Twitter
He disclosed:
“If not for my security men and God I would have been dead by now, I ran over 1.5 kilometers to escape while my security men repelled the herdsmen.”
Furthermore, Ortom revealed that from intelligence received from security agents, the attack came just a few days after he was described by the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Kautal in Yola as a thorn in the flesh.
Although he said his life is in the hands of God, the governor vowed to send a letter of petition to President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigeria's military heads against the herders' group.
Earlier, the convoy of the governor came under gunfire on Saturday afternoon along the Makurdi-Gboko highway.
There was a heavy exchange of gunfire between the attackers and the governor’s security officials. Ortom was said to be returning to Makurdi from Gboko when the incident happened.
Before this, the Emir of Birnin Gwari, Alhaji Zubairu Jibril Mai Gwari II, narrated how he escaped an attempt on his life by bandits operating in his domain.
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The traditional ruler said that the bandits attacked his convoy with the aim of killing him.
Onyirioha Nnamdi is a graduate of Literature and English Language at the University of Lagos. He is a Politics/Current Affairs Editor who writes on news and political topics for Legit.ng. He brings into his reporting a wealth of experience in creative and analytical writing. Nnamdi has a major interest in local and global politics.
Source: Legit.ng
