Ortom decries police handling of Vanguard reporter’s death, demands probe of incident

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Saturday knocked the Nigeria Police over the handling of the death of Vanguard Newspaper reporter, Henry Tordue Salem, whose body was discovered last Thursday, three weeks after he was declared missing.

The police had in a statement issued on Friday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said Salem was killed by a hit-and-run driver in the Mabushi area of the Federal Capital Territory.

The reporter’s body, according to the police, was discovered at the Wuse General Hospital mortuary after a painstaking investigation.

But in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Nat Ikyur, the governor slammed the police for parading the suspected killer of the Benue-born Salem.

He said the discovery of the reporter’s remains was “suspicious” and demanded a thorough investigation of the incident by a competent body.

Read also: Ortom to sign amended Benue Community Volunteer Guards law

Ortom also appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS) and other sister agencies to do everything possible to unravel the mystery surrounding the gruesome murder of the journalist.

He expressed regret that a Benue son would suddenly disappear only to be found dead by unidentified persons in an undisclosed location in Abuja.

The statement read: “He (Ortom) says such a mysterious recovery of the body of the deceased reporter was suspicious and deserves to be thoroughly investigated.

“The governor appeals to the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS) and other sister agencies to do everything possible to unravel the mystery surrounding the gruesome murder of the Benue-born journalist.

“Governor Ortom reiterates that the Benue State Government is always committed to the safety of all her citizens both at home and in the diaspora and will not rest on its oars until the perpetrators of this heinous act do not go unpunished.”

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