Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom said his administration would commence a general statewide crackdown on criminals beginning from Monday, May 6.
He spoke at a thanksgiving service at the NKST Church, Agasha organized in his honour by the Nongov Community Development Association.
The Governor stated that with the end of the one week prayer and fasting programme organized in conjunction with the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, against evil in the state, it was time to match faith with works stressing that the former without the latter was dead.
Ortom said God had heard the prayers of the people at previous times such that he was confident that He has heard the prayers this time too and would assist in the fight against crime.
He said having tackled the challenge from the spiritual realm it was time to go physical insisting that a combined task force comprising the military, the Police, Civil Defence, as well as other security agencies would be engaged to fish out criminals from their hiding places to face sanctions.
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The Governor stated that the objective of the crackdown would be to restore peace to troubled areas particularly in the Sankera, Gboko, Kwande and other places across the state so that economic and other activities could begin to take place.
He urged the people to reconcile with one another pointing out that the time for politicking was over even as he reiterated his call on others who contested elections against him to team up for the development of the state.
Governor Ortom commended the Nongov community for turning out in large numbers to vote for his re-election and assured them that he was ready to prove at the election tribunal that the votes he got were genuine.
In his sermon, Reverend Thomas Chieve, urged all Christians to imbibe the spirit of thanksgiving saying it was pleasing to God.
