Ortom rejects Benue govt probe report, labels inquiry ‘political witch-hunt’

..says alleged unaccounted N139.8bn baseless

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has rejected the report of the Benue State Income and Expenditure Commission of Inquiry, describing the exercise as a politically motivated witch-hunt orchestrated by the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia.

In a statement issued Saturday by his media aide, Zege Terhide, Ortom said the commission’s report was “fundamentally flawed, legally challenged and politically motivated.”

“What the people of Benue witnessed was not an exercise in accountability. It was the culmination of a carefully scripted political witch-hunt designed from the outset to indict the government of Chief Samuel Ortom at all costs,” the statement read.

The former governor’s reaction came a day after the commission submitted its report to the Benue state government in Makurdi.

The eight-member panel, chaired by retired Justice Jubril Idrisu, was inaugurated by Governor Alia in June 2025 to investigate the income and expenditure of the immediate past administration and the 23 local government councils between May 29, 2015, and May 28, 2023.

Presenting the report on Friday, Justice Idrisu said the commission reviewed financial records and conducted public hearings involving former government officials and institutions.

According to him, the commission’s findings revealed that the state generated over N826.5billion during the period under review, while expenditure stood at about N683.4billion, leaving an unaccounted balance of approximately N139.8 billion.

Receiving the report on behalf of Governor Alia, Deputy Governor Sam Ode said the administration remained committed to transparency, accountability and institutional reforms.

The deputy governor expressed confidence that implementing the commission’s recommendations would strengthen institutions, discourage the mismanagement of public funds and ensure accountability.

However, Ortom maintained that the legitimacy of the probe remains the subject of ongoing litigation.

According to his statement, earlier panels established by the Alia administration to investigate his government were challenged in court and subsequently dissolved before a new commission was constituted.

He noted that there is a pending appeal challenging the legality of the inquiry, with a hearing scheduled at the Court of Appeal on June 29, 2026. The former governor also said the Benue state government had approached the Supreme Court to challenge an earlier Appeal Court ruling that nullified the constitution of previous probe panels.

“It is therefore astonishing that a government which voluntarily submitted itself to the jurisdiction of the courts would, in the same breath, proceed as though those judicial processes do not exist,” the statement said.

Ortom accused the Alia administration of using the probe to divert attention from governance challenges, including insecurity, the plight of Internally Displaced Persons, industrial disputes in the education sector and questions surrounding the management of state finances.

“Whenever questions are asked about the over N1.3 trillion that has accrued to Benue state under the present administration, Governor Alia and his appointees quickly blame Ortom.

“Whenever the administration struggles to explain its performance after three years in office, it blames Ortom. Whenever insecurity worsens and communities continue to suffer attacks, the Alia government blames Ortom. Whenever public dissatisfaction grows, it blames Ortom.

“The unfortunate reality is that Governor Alia has become more interested in prosecuting media battles against his predecessor than in addressing the serious challenges confronting Benue state,” the statement read.

The former governor insisted that all financial activities under his administration were conducted in accordance with the law and established government procedures noting that government accounts were subjected to annual statutory audits, budgets were regularly presented and approved, and financial records were maintained by relevant institutions.

“The former governor has nothing to hide and remains proud of his record in office and committed to the rule of law,” the statement said.

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