Fulani Herdsmen: FG should be assertive – Lagos Lawmaker

By Lanre Adesanya

The President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has been urged to crush some Fulani herdsmen, who are allegedly killing people in the northern part of the country.

According to a lawmaker in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Abiodun Tobun, the government should crush the violent Fulani herdsmen, study them, get their location, pursue them, clear them off, and send drones to them.

Tobun, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Works and Infrastructure, stressed in an interview that it should be operation no mercy, and that the government must take a decisive action against them and treat them as enemies of Nigeria.

The lawmaker, who is representing Epe Constituency 1 in the Assembly, however said that it is very wrong for any religious leader in the country to promote religious violence.

Referring to the killings in Southern Kaduna and the call by a pastor that Christians should defend themselves, Tobun said that whoever wants to promote religious violence in Nigeria is being unfair to man and to God.

“God said in the Holy Quran and Holy Bible that one religion should not disturb another. Worship the God you know how to worship, while I also do mine. When Boko Haram members went to attack the University of Maiduguri and some mosques in the north and killed Muslims, should we say the Boko Haram members were Christians.

“They attacked mosques in Borno and Abuja, would you say the attackers were Christians. Boko Haram members are not Christians or Muslims. They are the enemies of Nigeria and we must see them like that. Those who say they are Muslims are using diversionary tactic,” he said.

He maintained that the fact that the suspected killers of people in Southern Kaduna are Fulani herdsmen does not mean they are Muslims, saying that Nigerians should avoid tribal or religious sentiment.

He said: “Are they not the ones rearing cows all along, where do they have their mosques. Are we saying we don’t have Christians in the North. Jonah Jang, Yakubu Gowon and others are Christians. These people are Fulani herdsmen who are creating problems for this country and we must all deal with them.”

Also reacting to the recent trip of President Muhammadu Buhari to London by for 10 days vacation and medical check-up, the lawmaker said that he is yet to see any major absenteeism by the President.

Tobun emphasised that President Buhari has been around, and that he has been up and doing, adding that traveling abroad once or twice in a year for medical treatment is normal for any human being.

“Health is wealth, you must take your health seriously. For the President to travel out of the country to check his health regularly is okay, especially because of his age. That is why you see some young people dying anyhow.

“They fail to check their state of health. Anybody that is above 40 years of age should check his state of health at least once or twice a year.

“It is not that the President was rushed out of the country. He announced that he was traveling abroad and he handed over to his Vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and took 10 days off. The 10 days have not lapsed and people have started making noise,” he said.

The politician declared that the President is not doing badly, and that he always addresses the nation, and performs his duty effectively.

According to him, Buhari is an old man, and people should not expect him to be as active as young men, but that even if he is not physically strong, he is mentally and morally okay.

On the belief that the President should have sought medical treatment in Nigeria, Tobun said that this was not possible, because, according to him, the nation’s so-called medical consultants travel abroad to seek more knowledge.

He said that people usually travel to places such as India, Germany, London and the United States of America for proper medical check-up.

“Even most of our medical consultants travel to those places to acquire more knowledge. Why would you go for less if you can afford it. Being the President does not mean one should not treat himself, afterall ordinary citizens are doing same once they can afford it. Must he now die all because he is the president,” he stated.

Tobun also commended that Nigerian government, who he said are doing their best daily, and are putting much efforts into the system, but that the nation is not yet there medically.

“Don’t forget that the United States of America got their independence over 200 years ago and they are having the 45th civilian president now. We got independence in 1960 with very few civilian presidents so far. So, they are far away from us.

“We are only trying to meet up, but people travel abroad for serious medical issues. We see the way people die in our hospitals, many of our medical doctors do not live up to expectation, would you blame the president for that.

“We should know that he is our President, and we must not allow him to die. Our medical doctors are trying their best, but we still have a long way to go, so let us protect the life of our president. If that is where he could get the best medical treatment, he should do so,” he stated.