Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, on Sunday, said that he was being persecuted by the Federal Government and his former political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) because he refused to surrender Benue lands to Fulani herdsmen.

Governor Ortom stated this at St. Michael’s Catholic Rectory Ameladu during a thanksgiving service in his honour.

He insisted that the agenda of the invaders was not for grazing but to take over the land from the real owners.

Governor Ortom, while stressing that he would never be party to such evil agenda, however, reassured the people of the state of his administration’s commitment to protecting their interests no matter the level of intimidation and threats.

He maintained that his defection from the ruling APC was in rejection of a political party which treats the killing of his people with kid gloves, saying he could not remain in a party encouraging the killing of his people.

•Excerpted from Sunday Sun report