Bandits operating in 24 Nigerian states – Gov Ortom

The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, said on Thursday armed bandits are currently operating in at least in 24 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The governor stated this at a workshop at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Correspondence Chapel in Abuja.

Ortom, who addressed the forum virtually, warned of food security in the country if the problem is not addressed by the Federal Government.

He said: “Without ranching laws, herdsmen may soon be at every doorstep and that this will compromise farming and food security across the country. Herdsmen attacks on farmers will only end when open grazing is eliminated. Many countries in the world including those in Africa have embraced ranching.

READ ALSO: Ortom urges caution as Army denies reports of civilian massacre in Benue State

“The rise in kidnapping of all categories of people across the country is a dangerous trend. We don’t know who is telling the truth. But as it stands, there is a strong allegation that desperate politicians brought into the country foreign mercenaries to help them win elections.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Army, Ali Ndume, who was also at the forum, accused the leaders of heightening ethnic tension in the country.

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