Buhari orders ‘open and transparent’ probe of Ortom attack

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, ordered security agencies to execute what he termed an “open and transparent” probe into the Saturday assassination attempt on the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom.

The order was enclosed in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, tagged “President Buhari condemns attack on Governor Samuel Ortom, orders thorough, transparent investigation.”

Shehu cited President Buhari as giving directions that all those connected to the attack should be punished according to the law.

“Let there be open and transparent investigation and whoever is linked to it should be caught and be made to face the law,” the President reportedly instructed.

The President further reported to have declared that the series of ruthless attacks on people and communities in the state, with the most recent one targeting Governor Ortom, was intolerable.

The statement read, “The President welcomes the dispatch of a high-level team of crack investigators to the state from the police headquarters in Abuja, urging the officers to uncover who, or whatsoever, was behind the attacks and bring them to justice.

“In expressing his sympathies, and that of the government of the federation to Governor Ortom and all Benue indigenes, President Buhari said the unfortunate incident must not be politicised, reiterating that an attack on one Nigerian is an attack on all Nigerians.

“The President directed the police to undertake a thorough investigation into the incident involving the governor and into all such incidents affecting individuals and communities in the state.”