The Presidency has debunked the allegation of Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, following his claim that high ranking security personnel has personally informed him that President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered security forces not to move against Fulani herdsmen responsible for recent violence.
The Presidency added that there is no iota of truth in Ortom’s allegation, saying that if the Benue Governor is courageous enough, he should name the military personnel who gave him the story or keep quiet.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, stated this in a statement made available on Thursday night while reacting to Ortom’s recent interview.
 Faulting Governor Ortom over his security information claim, Shehu said, ” These ridiculous claims are patently untrue. If he is as brave as he claims to be, let him name names. Let him name the military personnel who told him this story or forever shut up.
 “It is disappointing that Ortom, who in the same interview describes himself as a child of God who believes in being lawful and respects the Nigerian constitution, felt the need to spread such a divisive lie. In a period of heightened insecurity, our politicians should be working to bring us closer together, not risking further violence by dishonestly seeking to further divide us along ethnic or religious lines”.
The presidential spokesman also urged Ortom and other politicians to exercise restraint in their comment over security issues as the country prepares for the 2023 general elections.
Shehu said, ” Fortunately, the cheap, dog whistle politics behind Ortom’s falsehood are plain for all to see. He is not the first opportunistic politician who has attempted to sow discord amongst his country’s people in the run-up to an election; sadly, he will not be the last.
 “The Nigerian people will see him for what he is: an opportunist flaunting his wares as the country prepares to elect its next president; a man fond of posing in military fatigue who expects the country to believe Nigeria’s top security personnel would share high-level confidential information with him. To be clear: they do not”.
