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Fulani Herdsmen: What Buhari tells Catholic bishops about critics

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8 years ago

February 8, 2018

President Muhammadu Buhari has described as dishonest the notion that many hold about him sitting in his easy chair why his Fulani kinsmen rearing cattle foment trouble across the nation.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the president spoke while receiving a delegation of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria led by Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday.

“At every step, I have tried to foresee these problems because I have the experience as a former military officer who commanded three out of the four divisions of the Nigerian Army in Lagos, Ibadan and Jos.

“I am quite aware of the problems we have and I am doing my best to get law enforcement agencies to be on alert.”

Buhari condemned the killings, and assured the clerics that security operatives would ensure prosecution of perpetrators and all those found with illegal arms in the affected areas.

On the cattle colony scheme, the president explained the initiative is in response to the frequent clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the country—not meant to colonise any part of the country,

He regretted that as well-thought as the policy is, it has been largely misunderstood by a section of the public.

The president also told his guests that he would not be tired of recounting remarkable progress recorded in the areas of security, economy and the fight against corruption.

Buhari has come under fire since former President Olusegun Obasanjo wrote him an open letter criticising the APC government , and asking him not to seek re-election come 2019.