Nigeria would be buried if Ortom is killed – Wike

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike has reacted to the attempted assasination of his counterpart, Dr. Samuel Ortom of Benue State on Saturday.

Wike warns the Federal Government of dire consequences in the obvious threat to Ortom’s life when Fulani assailants on Saturday trailed him to his farm and attempted to eliminate him.

On Saturday, some Fulani herdsmen who were believed to have camped in the forest numbering about 15 opened fire on the governor at Tyo-mu along Gboko-Makurdi Road by the river bank, but were repelled by Ortom’s security details.

In his reaction, the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, warned that Nigeria may be plunged into another civil war if Ortom is assassinated, saying that it may mark the end of an entity called Nigeria.

“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 that there will be no more Nigeria,” Wike said in a statement which was signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri.

Reports indicated that the gunmen trailed Ortom to a river bank in his farm in Tyo Mu along Makurdi/Gboko road in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue where they opened fire at him.

But his security details were able to fight off the assailants.

Ortom had blamed a group of Fulani herders he has been at loggerheads with since he promulgated anti-open grazing law in Benue state for the attack.

Wike also claimed that a former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains planned to assassinate him during the 2019 general election.

Wike described as disturbing the growing trend where the live of incumbent governors are brazenly threatened.

The Fulani socio-cultural group, Kautal Hore Miyetti Allah at a meeting in Yola last week, openly accused governor Samuel Ortom of championing ban on open grazing and threatened attack against him.

The governor has called for the arrest of Fulani leadership