TheCable

Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, has asked the federal government to take proactive steps against the activities of the Islamic State in West African Province (ISWAP).

Ortom spoke on Tuesday while addressing a delegation from the Victim Support Fund (VSF) led by Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, its chairperson, at Makurdi, the Benue state capital.

The Benue governor urged the federal government not to take for granted the warning issued by his Borno counterpart, Babagana Zulum, about the activities of ISWAP.

Zulum has expressed concerns over the increasing strength of ISWAP, especially in the north-east. The Borno governor recently said ISWAP would become deadlier than Boko Haram if allowed to fester.

Speaking in the same vein, Ortom said:  “I want to lend my voice to what my colleague in Borno state, Prof Babagana Zulum, has cried out against the activities of ISWAP in that part of the country.

“The federal government should not take this alarm from the threats of ISWAP lightly and take proactive steps to send away the terrorists away from Nigeria so that we can live in peace.

“We can not continue this way. Nigeria deserves more peace than what we have now.”

The governor said immediately he assumed office in 2015, he predicted the dangers of allowing the activities of armed herders to fester for long without a permanent solution.

On her part, Ogunsiji said VSF was in the state to hear more from the governor on critical areas the organisation should intervene in confronting the problems of internally displaced persons (IDPs).