Only few incidents have attracted the level of outrage and condemnation of  a wide section of Nigerians like  the recent attack by a criminal   group on the Benue State Governor, Dr Samuel Ortom.

 On the fateful   Saturday,  March 20,  a band of deadly herdsmen numbering up to 15 attempted to kill the Benue state governor, while he was undertaking one of his passions apart from governance, farming.

President Muhammadu Buhari showed leadership as he reacted hours after the incident to condemn the attack. He also directed the police and other security agencies to move into Benue to ensure the perpetrators were apprehended and other sundry criminals rooted out of the state.

The ruling- All Progressives Congress (APC) condemned the attack on the governor, while also tasking  the nation’s security agencies to unravel the criminals behind the attack.

John James Akpan Udoedehe, Secretary of the APC Caretaker Committee who condemned the attack in a statement he signed in Abuja also canvassed for multi sectoral collaboration to end the rising cases of criminalities in the country. The Secretary equally expressed thanks to God for sparing the life of the Benue State governor, while commending  the governor’s security details for repelling the attack. “We are confident our security services will do everything to unravel the criminals behind the attack and bring them to book,’’ he added.

Equally  outraged at the attack on Ortom, was the main opposition-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  which said  Nigerians should  hold the All Progressives Congress-led administration responsible should any harm befall the Benue State governor.

The party gave the charge while condemning  the attack on the governor.  In a statement, the party demanded the  arrest and prosecution of the Assailants. “The PDP vehemently condemns Saturday’s(March 20)|  reckless attack and the assassination attempt on Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State by suspected bandits, reported to be killer herdsmen.The party calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to put machinery in motion by ordering an immediate manhunt, arrest and prosecution of the assailants and beef up security around the governor.

 “Our party is worried that this brazen attempt at Governor Ortom’s life is coming on the heels of his outspokenness in exposing those allegedly behind the incessant attacks of communities in the state and demanding that the Federal Government live up to its responsibility on the protection of life and property in the state, PDP said in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan.

Similarly, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike  condemned the attack on Ortom’s convoy, saying Nigeria could plunge into another civil war if his Benue State counterpart was assassinated. Wike also said the Buhari regime would be held responsible if  Ortom was killed.  “If you kill Ortom, then be prepared to bury Nigeria. If anything happens to Governor Ortom, the Federal Government will be held responsible and they should be prepared for it,” Wike said in a widely circulated statement.

Earlier, the Nigeria Governors Forum[ NGF] while acknowledging the quick response of the Inspector General of Police in  deploying a crack team of detectives to investigate the attack on Ortom,  noted with concern  that the Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM) had already claimed responsibility for the assassination attempt and should be arrested and questioned. In its condemnation of the attack  the  Nigeria Governors  said, , the move to make Benue State ungovernable was  unacceptable and would fail woefully. NGF in a statement by its Chairman and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, described the broad daylight attempt to cut short the life of the governor as shocking and a rude awakening. Fayemi said the Forum empathizes with the governor and the people of Benue State on the sad, cowardly, and wicked plan and condemned  the act in strong terms adding all hands must be on deck to uncover the identities of those involved in this heinous crime.

In its response, the governors elected on the platform of PDP maintained, that the assassination attempt on  Gov. Ortom  was an invitation to anarchy. Chairman of PDP Governors Forum and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, warned that  any attempt to harm any Nigerian will be viewed by the Forum as an attempt on all of  them.

The Forum reminded the Federal Government of its primary responsibility of securing the nation, especially since it controls the Military.

 Equally irked, was a notable Nigerian and    former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, who tasked  security operatives to step up to the task of securing lives and property to avoid resort  of Nigerians to self-help. Mark described the security situation in the country as scandalous and making Nigeria a subject of ridicule before other nations.

The outrage that trailed this unwholesome development in itself has silenced the mischief makers, who had taken to the social media to insinuate that the attack on Ortom was either fake, stage-managed or a political gimmick. Some even mocked the Governor over the reports that he ran a race of his life to escape the assassins’ bullets.

On our part, we sympathise with the Governor over this incident and pray that  no Nigerian, including the cynics  should ever experience such an attack as psychological trauma on the victim is  better imagined.

Ortom himself cleared the air when he visited President Buhari in the State House, that he would never fake such an unfortunate incident as a man of faith. We believe him.

DAILY ASSET joins millions of Nigerians to condemn in the strongest possible terms the attempt to take Gov Ortom’s life. We have on many occasions held strongly on the sanctity of life and that no Nigerian, no matter how powerful, should take advantage to end the life of another.

 It is instructive that Ortom has been engaged in a cantankerous relationship with some groups especially the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Cattle Breeders Association, Fulani Nationalities Movement(FUNAM) over the ‘Open Grazing Prohibition Act’ in operation in the state. The attack appears to be a fall out of the sour relationship. That  FUNAM publicly accepted responsibility on the attack shows the enormity of the hatred between the Herders and Ortom.

DAILY ASSET calls on the  special investigating team to interrogate these groups especially their vocal leaders to  establish their culpability or otherwise.

We hold the view that the continued opposition to the Open Grazing Prohibition Act appears to have been overtaken by events as virtually the whole country has come to terms with Ortom’s position that ranching is the best way to keep animals in modern times especially given the prevailing  circumstances in the country. The Northern Governors Forum has already endorsed ranching as a panacea to the incessant farmers-herders clashes. Apart from Benue, Taraba and Ekiti states, where a similar law is in operation, Bayelsa has enacted its version; Plateau state Governor, Simon Lalong has sent  a similar Bill to the State House of Assembly, while other Governors are also on at various stages of making the law. We commend all the states that have seen the light to embrace ranching of animals and strongly urge the remaining states to follow suit.