Benue State’s government led by Hyacinth Alia is disputing claims made by former governor Samuel Ortom regarding vehicles seized after his 2023 tenure ended. Ortom says the state administration seized cars that were given to him by the Benue State Executive Council. He also claims he took the matter to court and won.
In response, Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, tells Arise TV that the cars were not simply taken from Ortom. He says security agencies acted on intelligence that led to the discovery of vehicles hidden in a mechanic workshop. Kula adds that the workshop owner later sued the Benue State Government, and he argues this supports the government’s position that the vehicles’ status was disputed.
Across the reports, the key difference is emphasis: Ortom frames the seizures as wrongful, while Alia’s side frames the issue as a matter involving hidden cars and legal action connected to the workshop that held them. Both sides refer to court proceedings, but they offer different explanations for what happened and why.
