Ortom Accuses Alia of Seizing 23 Vehicles in Benue

Samuel Ortom, the former Governor of Benue State, accused his successor, Hyacinth Alia, of ordering the seizure of 23 vehicles that were allocated to him before he left office in 2023. Ortom made this allegation during an interview on Arise Television's Morning Show on a Tuesday.

He stated that he took legal action regarding the matter and obtained a court judgment directing the government to return the vehicles and pay him N5 million in damages. Ortom claimed the vehicles were legitimately assigned to him and described the seizure as part of a broader pattern of "witch-hunt" by the Alia administration against political opponents.

Additionally, Ortom raised concerns about Alia's governance, alleging that political stakeholders had been shut out from state affairs and that no stakeholders' meetings had occurred since Alia took office. He also claimed that local government chairmen in Benue State had not accessed their funds despite a Supreme Court ruling affirming their financial autonomy.

Alia, a member of the All Progressives Congress, defeated Ortom's backed candidate, Titus Uba of the Peoples Democratic Party, on May 29, 2023.