The Benue State Government led by the Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, has responded to accusations made by his immediate predecessor, Chief Samuel Ortom, over alleged persecution by the current administration.

Ortom had claimed that the government was harassing him.

The exchange of words began after members of the Assets Recovery Committee, led by Barrister Tom Uja, carried out an operation to recover vehicles allegedly stolen by the previous government.

Ortom’s statement, issued through his media aide Terver Akase, accused the governor of subjecting him to persecution.

Reacting, Governor Alia, through his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, released a statement titled “THOSE WHO ARE NOT WITCHES SHOULD NOT BE SCARED OF A ‘WITCH-HUNT'” to address Ortom’s comments.

The governor expressed surprise at why the former governor was misinterpreting the operation, emphasising that the Recovery Committee was not targeting Ortom.

Kula stated that prior to the invasion, the incumbent governor had instructed the committee not to engage in any form of witch-hunting.

The statement read, “Ortom was not and has never been the target, as his aide and the Publicity Secretary of his party would want the unsuspecting mass of Benue people to falsely believe in a bid to curry undue public sympathy.”

The governor’s spokesperson further added, “The discovery and recovery of numerous vehicles at a private building within the state capital by the committee is an indication that they have truly swung into action. We do not believe Ortom is the proverbial witch and as such, he is being ‘hunted’ as his spokespersons would want the public to believe.”

“Someone should ask him not to be bothered even if Alia has come to witch-hunt. He will only be concerned with witches that, under the cover of night, mercilessly pillaged with reckless abandon the resources and common patrimony of the state.”