The All Progressives Congress, governorship candidate in Benue State, Chief Dr Samuel Ortom has appealed to the Benue commissioner of Police, Mr Hyacinth Dagala, to convene a roundtable of political stakeholders to dialogue and ensure peace in the state.
He made the appeal today when he went to lodge a formal complaint about the series of attacks on his supporters and his campaign offices across the state.
Chief Dr Ortom disclosed that since the beginning of the year he has written to the state command to complain about the attacks but nothing has been done adding that the most disturbing aspect was the report that the police provide cover for some of the attacks.
The former Minister of State, Industry, Trade, and Investment said he would make efforts to discuss the development with his counterpart and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and urged the commissioner to convene a roundtable on the issue.
He disclosed that as a Christian he believed that a man can receive nothing except it is given to him from above hence there was no need to resort to self help.
Chief Dr Ortom commended the Police Commissioner for personally visiting his campaign headquarters to assess the damage and the other efforts to maintain law and order in the state.
The former Minister reiterated his commitment to peace in the state adding that he would do all in his power to ensure that the situation does not escalate.
In his response, Mr Dagala assured Chief Dr Ortom that the police will make concerted efforts to arrest and prosecute those culpable.
He pledged to consult with the State Resident Electoral Commissioner and convene the roundtable as soon as possible while investigations would be conducted into the allegations of Police providing cover for the attackers.
Chief Dr Ortom proceeded to Gyado Villa where he inspected two offices in which his supporters were attacked and and called for restraint stressing that vengeance belonged to God.
He said he had forgiven the attackers who he described as hungry and deprived youths made pliable in the hands of an inept government whose leaders pay them a pitance for carrying out such attacks.
According to him while God would surely judge their sponsors, if given the mandate, he would provide jobs for the youths and ensure that no one hired them for such assignments any more.