The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Saturday accused the former Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, of sponsoring non-state actors to perpetrate violence in the state and other parts of the country.
The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had during the week alleged that bombing incident that led to the killing of over 40 herdsmen in Doma local government area of Nasarawa State was orchestrated from Benue State.
However, the governor at a press conference held in Makurdi 24 hours later, claimed that some Fulani elites led by the former Emir were plotting to pin the bombing incident on him.
He added that 52 Fulani personalities including Sanusi had in a petition sent to President Muhammadu Buhari indicted him for the killing of herdsmen in the airstrike that rocked communities between Benue and Nasarawa States.
Sanusi later fired back in an interview on the BBC Hausa Service and insisted the airstrike emanated from Benue State.
He added that Ortom had in the past made anti-open grazing laws and set up a state militia to target the herders.
The governor, who reacted to Sanusi’s latest remark in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Terver Akase, denied involvement in the incident and slammed the former CBN governor for profiling him for assassination.
He described the former emir as an “ethnic champion” who had over the years pretended to be a true nationalist.
Ortom also demanded an unreserved apology from Sanusi and charged him to direct his energy to the military which had been mentioned in the incident.
The statement read: “We read the text of an interview the dethroned Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi granted the BBC Hausa Service wherein he again leveled baseless and senseless allegations against Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom in continuation of the desperation to profile the governor and set him up for elimination.
