Senator Abaribe urges President Buhari to condemn herdsmen violence
- Senate Enyinnaya Abaribe has faulted President Buhari’s handling of the herdsmen crisis
- The lawmaker expressed displeasure over the activities of criminal herdsmen
- The presidency has, however, disagreed with the senator's comments
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Senate Enyinnaya Abaribe has said President Muhammadu Buhari's lack of action has emboldened criminal herdsmen.
The Senate minority leader made the statement on Monday, February 15, when speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
Source: UGC
He stated that it was necessary for the president to openly condemn the activities of criminal herdsmen.
Abaribe said:
“The President needs to come out and say I do not support these types of actions, these criminal elements. He has to come out and everybody sees that he is owning this problem.”
“We have never heard it. Where did the President ever say that these criminal herdsmen will never be tolerated in this country? What we’ve heard from 2016 all the way down is ‘live in peace with your neighbour’ and ‘try to accommodate your countrymen’ and stuff of that nature.''
However, a presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, faulted the senator’s claims.
Shehu said the president through his spokespersons, has condemned such violent activities.
In another news, the governor of Ondo state, Rotimi Akeredolu, has criticised his Bauchi state counterpart, Senator Bala Mohammed, over his comments supporting herders carrying AK-47 for self-defence against cattle rustlers and other threats.
According to a report by Nigerian Tribune, Akeredolu expressed disappointment over the Bauchi governor's statement describing Mohammed as an anarchist who is unfit for public office.
The Ondo state governor speaking through his commissioner for information and orientation, Donald Ojogo, explained that it was shocking and disappointing for the Bauchi governor to make such a statement as Nigeria’s constitution remains unchanged.
Meanwhile, the Bauchi state government has put forward an explanation on the statement of Governor Bala Mohammed justifying Fulani herders carrying AK-47 for self-defence.
In a statement on Sunday, February 14, Muktar Gidado, a senior special assistant on media, said the comment of the principal was misunderstood, The Punch reported.
Mohammed maintained that since the host communities and government of host states failed to protect the herders, it is imminent that the Fulani herders carry guns as self-defence.
Kess Ewubare is a senior political/current affairs correspondent at Legit.ng. He has both a BSc and a Master’s degree in mass communication. He has over 10 years of experience in working in several fields of mass communication including radio, TV, newspaper, and online. For Kess, journalism is more than a career, it is a beautiful way of life.
Source: Legit.ng
