Samuel Ortom, Benue state
governor, says Idris Kpotun, the inspector general of police (IGP), is a
drowning man who has no business heading the police force.
The governor said this in
reaction to Jimoh Moshood, public relations officer of the Nigeria Police
Force, who had earlier described him with the same ‘drowning man’ phrase.
The back and forth was prompted
by Idris’ criticism of the anti-grazing law and his call for its suspension
until ranches were put in place.
The IGP had said the law worsened
the violence between farmers and herdsmen, but Ortom had asked him to resign if
he was overwhelmed.
Speaking during a radio programme
on Tuesday, Ortom said: “It is the IGP that has failed to do the right thing
that should be called a drowning man, it is the IGP that should resign.
“I am not a drowning man; I am
doing what I was elected to do. Over 99 percent of Benue people are with me,
I’m acting their script, so nobody should try to intimidate me.
“The IGP should resign because he
has failed woefully. He doesn’t have the capacity. There are many good police
officers who can take over that job and perform creditably by turning around
the security architecture of this country and make things work and protect
lives and property. That man has no business being the IGP.”
The governor also urged the
people of his state to “defend themselves lawfully” if the police cannot
guarantee the security of their lives and properties.
He described the IGP “as the
mouthpiece of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore”, urging him to “resign his current
position to serve full time in his new job”.
Ortom denied the police’s claim
that the arrested militia members in his state are members of Benue Livestock
Guards.
“Those people are not members of
our Livestock Guard. It is just a planned thing,” he said.
“Fulani militia have come out in
video to display the kind of weapons that they have and everyone has seen it;
that is also not enough for the IGP to arrest these people.
“But he chose to declare that we
have militia in Benue state. If we have militia in the state, will the herdsmen
come and kill our people the way they did and are currently doing?
“It is because we are
law-abiding. I think the people should have the right to defend themselves and
not make themselves easy prey to be killed in their homes.
“So any lawful means you can
adopt to defend yourself in Benue State, just go ahead. We are not going to
wait for the inspector-general of police to do it because he has failed in his
assignment.”
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