Lawyer fingers Ortom over Suswam’s ordeal

An Abuja based legal practitioner, Barrister Igbatule Dugwer has accused Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state of having a hand in the current predicament of his predecessor, Gabriel Suswam.
Aside standing trial at the Federal High Court Abuja, Suswam was on February 25th arrested and since has been under the custody of the Department of State Service (DSS).

In a statement released yesterday, Dugwer said “It is no longer news that the former Governor of Benue State Rt. Hon. Gabriel Suswam has been detained by the DSS upon the active instigation of Governor Dr. Samuel Ortom on allegation of illegal possession of Arms since 25th February 2017 till date” Dugwer claimed.

He stated that Suswam’s predicament was due to the governor’s vow to ensure that the ex governor “remains behind bars until Local Government elections are concluded in Benue State in June 2017.”
However, he said “What is news is the desperation he is showing in his recent attempts to keep Rt. Hon. Suswam perpetually in detention, the legal practitioner said.

He said the governor is disturbed by his dwindling popularity and that of the APC government in Benue state.
“He is also disturbed that the party is set to loose woefully in a free and fair election at the forth coming Local Government elections in June 2017, and is out to strangulate every perceived opposition before the Local Government elections” the statement said.

Dugwer said he gathered from a source at Government  House Makurdi, that the governor has forwarded a fresh list of 10 close Associates of Suswam to the Police and the DSS alleging that they are the ex governor’s partners in gun running and support for militia groups in Benue State.
He alleged that those on the list have stock piled arms in their homes and are still supporting militia activities even while Suswam is still in detention.

“Our source confirmed that to ensure that this fresh allegations of illegal possession of Arms are confirmed as true, the governor has arranged that weapons collected during his phantom Amnesty programme be released to the security agencies to plant them in the homes and premises or properties belonging to the people on his new list so as to facilitate their arrest and detention.

“In the event the above plan fails, Ortom has, as an alternative plan, already released hundreds of millions of naira to the security agencies to buy cars in the names of the listed persons and stock pile the cars with arms and park same over night at the premises of the people listed and return the next morning to arrest them for illegal possession of Arms.
“According to our source in Government House Makurdi, security agents are already in Benue state working with APC members and some members of Dr. Ortom’s cabinet to ensure that weapons are planted in the premises of selected associates of Suswam and other strong members of the Benue State chapter of the PDP so as to permanently silence them.
“We are disturbed by the special interest the DSS has shown and are getting involved in investigating how funds were received and applied during Suswam’s administration.

“We feel the DSS should focus on issues bordering on state security rather than getting involved in the political issues of the state.”

Posted by PEOPLES DAILY