Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has urged the Federal Government to declare Fulani Nationality Movement, FUNAM, the group that claimed responsibility for the attack on Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom a terrorist organisation.
Fani-Kayode alleged that FUNAM is closely affiliated to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria West Africa, ISIS.
According to him, FUNAM is “foreign-based, foreign-sponsored and foreign-manned counterintelligence operation whose sole purpose is to destabilize and destroy Nigeria.”
Fani-Kayode stated this on Monday in a series of tweets,
“FUNAM, who have claimed responsibility for the attack on and attempted assassination of Governor Ortom of Benue state, is a foreign-based, foreign-sponsored and foreign-manned counterintelligence operation whose sole purpose is to destabilize and destroy Nigeria.
“They are closely affiliated with ISIS West Africa and often share intelligence and collaborate with them in joint operations. Though they do have a few local allies, in the main they do not represent the Fulani of Nigeria but only the foreign Fulani terrorists and their international backers who want to throw Nigeria into chaos, drive us into a civil war and cause us to slaughter one another so that they can come into our country in full force and pick up the pieces.
“Ortom must be fully protected and the Federal Government must shut down FUNAM in Nigeria, declare them a terrorist organization and arrest or eliminate all their members, friends and associates before they push us into an avoidable and horrific full-scale civil war.”
WITHIN NIGERIA recall that armed men suspected to be herdsmen attacked convoy of Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom on Saturday at Tyo Mu along Makurdi-Gboko road while on a visit to a farm.
Ortom said the armed men, numbering about 15, trailed his convoy to the river bank where he was on foot with his security details to inspect a farm and opened fire on them.