Buhari orders investigation into Ortom’s attack, govs, APC condemn ambush

• PDP accuses APC-led govt as responsible

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a detailed investigation into the attack on the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, and smoke out the criminals for prosecution.

This came just as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the All Progressives Congress have condemned the ambush on Ortom and called for a thorough probe.

The Peoples Democratic Party also condemned the attack on the governor, claiming the ambush was deliberate and intended to assassinate him

The President said it must be a transparent and open investigation, adding that whoever was “linked to it should be caught and be made to face the law.”

The attack on the governor occurred when he visited his farm in the state on Saturday.

Already, the police have commenced an investigation into the attack.

Buhari’s order for investigation came in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, titled “President Buhari condemns attack on Governor Samuel Ortom, orders thorough, transparent investigation.”

The President was also reported to have said that the string of brutal attacks on individuals and communities in the state, with the latest one targeting the governor, was unacceptable.

The statement read in part, “The President welcomes the dispatch of a high-level team of crack investigators to the state from the police headquarters in Abuja, urging the officers to uncover who, or whatsoever, was behind the attacks and bring them to justice.

“In expressing his sympathies, and that of the government of the federation to Governor Ortom and all Benue indigenes, President Buhari said the unfortunate incident must not be politicised, reiterating that an attack on one Nigerian is an attack on all Nigerians.

“The President directed the police to undertake a thorough investigation into the incident involving the governor and into all such incidents affecting individuals and communities in the state.”

In a statement by the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party urged Nigerians to hold the APC-led administration responsible over its failure to take a decisive step to check the escalated insecurity and brazen attacks on innocent Nigerians.

But the APC, which also condemned the attack on the Benue governor, expressed confidence in Nigeria’s security operatives to apprehend people behind the attack.

The party in the statement signed by its interim National Secretary, John Akpanudoedehe, said, “We are confident our security services will do everything to unravel the criminals behind the attack and bring them to book.

“The APC reiterates that we must all collaborate to end criminality in all forms. A crime is a crime and should not be politicised in any way.”

The NGF empathised with Ortom and demanded that no effort should be spared to apprehend those behind the attack.

The governors stated this in a statement on Sunday signed by its chairman and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi.

The statement read: “The news of the broad daylight attempt to cut short the life of the Governor of Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom, is shocking and a rude awakening.

“All hands must be on deck to uncover the identities of those involved in this heinous crime.

“The NGF wishes to state categorically that the attempt to make Benue State ungovernable is unacceptable and will fail woefully.

“Only recently the brother of one of the former governors of the state was mowed down in cold blood.

“This dishonourable and shameful act of resorting to violence, for whatever reason, to eliminate citizens of Benue State by brutal means must not continue.”