The Asset Recovery Committee (ARC) established by Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has conducted a raid on one of the properties belonging to the immediate past governor, Samuel Ortom, and seized several high-end cars.
In June 2023, Governor Alia appointed a committee, led by Hingah Biem, with the mandate to identify and recover government assets, including lands, vehicles, houses, furniture, and machinery.
According to reliable sources, the committee recently targeted the former governor’s automobile workshop situated along the Makurdi/Otukpo road and confiscated several vehicles.
Confirming the operation, Committee Chairman Hingah Biem acknowledged the ongoing process but refrained from providing an exact count of the vehicles recovered thus far.
In response to inquiries about the operation, Biem stated, “I cannot confirm if that is his workshop, but it is true that we conducted an operation there. As we speak, the operation is still in progress, and I cannot disclose the exact number of vehicles recovered at this time. When you don’t have access to the keys, towing the vehicles becomes the only option.”
He further explained, “We received information that some government vehicles were stored on the premises. We obtained a warrant to inspect the location because some of the vehicles were being tampered with and repainted to conceal their original appearance. Our swift action ensured that suspected government vehicles were removed. If anyone can prove that the vehicles do not belong to the government, they will need to provide evidence.”