Odumakin: APC govs mocked the dead during condolence visit to Ortom

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governors who visited their Benue counterpart, Samuel Ortom, over the herdsmen killings in the state displayed “mockery of the dead”, says Yinka Odumakin, spokesman of Afenifere.

Kashim Shettima, governor of Borno, recently led a delegation of APC governors to condole with Ortom.

Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, on Tuesday, Odumakin said instead of being sober and remorseful, the actions of the governors were “insulting”.

He criticised the governors for failing to condemn those said to have carried out the killings.

“When we saw what happened there, I called the chief of staff that we are coming and he asked if we can postpone by a day or two because they were going to the presidency. I was shocked. When a man is bereaved, his neighbours, friends and even enemies suspend enmity for that period and go and visit him,” Odumakin said.

“In Yoruba land, when a man is bereaved, he does not see beyond the door of his house because he is in a mourning mood.

“Those who are sitting over tax-payers money did not consider it fit neither did the presidency or the governors who now went there to commiserate with their colleague and the people of Benue state 21 days after this had happened.

“You saw the leader of the team, Shettima, talking like Abubakar Shekau, fighting, insulting.

“We saw the governor of Kaduna state, his iPad was in front and they came to pay condolence visit. Clearly, this was a mockery of the dead. When things like this happen, you go there, show some remorse, empathise with the people. In all their words, [there was] no condemnation of those who carried out this murder.”