Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has reassured the Igbo Community and other Nigerians doing business in the state that cases of kidnapping will soon become history as the current massive onslaught against criminals is yielding results.
The Governor stated this in a press statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase and made available to newsmen in Makurdi.
He said the combined forces of the army, police and other security agencies have intensified operations particularly in crime flashpoints and huge success is being recorded.
He noted that the recent crackdown on a kidnappers’ hideout at Gbatse in Ushongo local government area where the kingpin and his gang were apprehended was a result of the collaboration between his administration and security operatives.
Gov. Ortom however, described as misleading, the statement published in some national dailies by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law which claimed that Igbos in Benue State are targets of “coordinated attacks and threats of annihilation”.
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He stressed that armed robbers and kidnappers do not recognize ethnicity. “They target any individual or group for ransom and other forms of extortion. In Benue, like any other state, people of different ethnic groups have fallen victim to kidnappers.
“What government and security agencies require from all stakeholders is support through intelligence gathering to enable them guarantee the safety of lives and property.”
He re-emphasized the resolve of his administration to sustain the fight against criminal elements and urged the people of the state to go about their normal businesses.
To address the security concerns raised by the Igbo community in Benue State recently, Ortom said he will soon meet with the leadership and other stakeholders of the group.
He encouraged representatives of Ndi Igbo in the state to attend the meeting with suggestions on ways of deepening the current security strategies as they affect their members.
