There are indications of emerging fret in the Nigerian presidency over the unrestrained killings and destruction of farmlands, property across Nigeria by kinsmen of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Fulani herdsmen. Virtually, every other part of Nigeria, except the north where political leaders appear to endorse the use of sophisticated weapons, the killings and destructions perpetuated by the Fulani herdsmen, are beginning to organize their communities for resistance and counter-warfare against the killer herdsmen. The situation is rapidly generating inter-ethnic violent encounters in the southwest and southeast with open readiness for war in defence of indigenous lands and territories.
Many stakeholders of goodwill in Nigeria are of the view that the perceived silence of President Buhari is reinforcing the killer herdsmen, encouraging them that the crimes they commit cannot be punished.
Apparently, the Nigerian presidency which is widely conceived to be shrinking over the failure to contain the intractable violent crimes, which include rampant banditry, kidnapping, invasion of rural communities and killings, in addition to the seeming institutionalized Boko Haram terrorism in the northeast, on Monday claimed that “thousands of” herdsmen are being tried and convicted across Nigeria for illegal activities.
It is widely noticeable that the Fulani herdsmen who share the same ethnic cleavage with President Buhari, rather than assist the president to succeed in his leadership of the country, create heavy burden of nepotism, irredentism and other primordial prejudices for President Buhari, the Fulani herdsmen provides more substances for the criticism of the president and the All Progressives Congress (APC) government than basic issues of governance in recent years.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, on Sunrise Daily on Monday on Channels Television monitored from Lagos, stated that the criminal herdsmen are being arrested and prosecuted in different parts of the country. He expressed the expectation that the police should be able to publish a list of arrested or prosecuted herdsmen in the country. He added that President Buhari cannot support such illegalities.
Shehu stated: “I hope that the police will take responsibility and publish the full list of Fulani herders who are undergoing trial in various states, particularly, in Benue State. “Trials are going on; convictions are being made and the President cannot be complicit in the kind of things that are being said of him.”
The SSA further said that President Buhari has deep concerns over the security situation in Nigeria and is prepared to work with all Nigerians to restore security and normalcy in the country.
Garba declared: “The President is more than concerned about the ongoing situation.
“And he is fully conscious of the fact that it is the responsibility of his government to work with all Nigerians to secure lives and stop the ongoing crises, whether they are kidnapping or ethnic hatred and violence. He condemns it.
“It is for community leaders – local, traditional, and elected – to work with the President.
“The country’s military, as we speak, is overstretched because they are active in at least 34 of the 36 states of the federation, including the FCT.
“The Air Force, the police, they are recruiting, day and night; people are being trained in special operations and are being sent to the forest.”
Shehu lashed out at the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinaya Abaribe, who chided the President for perceived silence on the herdsmen violent trade in Nigeria.