Gov. Alia’s aide dismisses PDP chieftain’s attack claim

By Peter Duru

Benue State Government has dismissed claims by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Mr. Bemgba Iortyom, that he was attacked by hoodlums in Makurdi on Friday night, describing the allegation as a desperate attempt to gain attention and discredit Governor Hyacinth Alia.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, in a statement issued on Saturday, said the account of the alleged attack lacked credibility and appeared to be a “fictional narrative.”

“News broke of an alleged attack on Bemgba Iortyom on Friday night, and while still trying to connect dots to the story, we read this morning his account of how the alleged attack happened,” Kula stated.

Kula faulted Iortyom for allegedly pointing accusing fingers at Governor Alia, describing the move as the height of political desperation. “Pointing accusing fingers at the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, is the extreme of this desperation,” he said.

According to the governor’s spokesman, the narrative presented by the PDP chieftain reads more like the opening scene of a poorly imagined action movie, adding that the story stretches “the boundaries of logic and insults the intelligence of serious readers.”

He questioned how Iortyom managed to escape from five attackers allegedly armed with axes without sustaining injuries.
“One would have expected that Mr. Bemgba goes deeper into the details of how he managed to escape five armed attackers in an open space. Did he suddenly acquire powers that allowed him to disappear? Or how exactly did he evade them?” Kula queried.

The governor’s aide further alleged that Iortyom was seeking political relevance after reportedly failing in attempts to join the current administration.

“Mr. Bemgba Iortyom, who in the last few months reportedly made several unsuccessful attempts to find his way into the government of the present administration, has now resorted to childish blackmail and attention-seeking theatrics,” he said.

Kula also accused the PDP chieftain of trying to paint a negative picture of insecurity in the state for political reasons.
“It is becoming obvious that he is on a quest for a ‘new job’ that requires mobilization, and his intent is to use fiction to paint the worst picture of insecurity in Benue and gain a cheap alibi,” he added.

Despite the criticism, the state government called on “security agencies in the state to meticulously investigate this matter and publicly come out with their findings for justice to take its course.”

Iortyom had earlier claimed that he was attacked by five hoodlums riding on motorcycles along George Akume Way in Makurdi and that his car was set ablaze after he managed to escape.

He also alleged that the incident was politically motivated and linked it to the prevailing political atmosphere in the state.

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