It’s evil to say I condone herdsmen killings, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday rejected link wit herdsmen accused of perpetrating killings in parts of the country, saying that those accusing him because he is of Fulani extraction, have evil minds.
He spoke when he received the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states at the presidential villa, Abuja on Thursday, saying that his accusers do so for political reasons.

The President said: “When some, for clearly political purposes, attempt to suggest that this government is doing nothing about the killings, and that I, being Fulani, must be encouraging these satanic acts, it seems to me that there is no limit to the evil in the minds of men.
“Otherwise, how can anyone in their right minds suggest that I, as an elected President even with substantial votes in the affected areas, will for any reason do harm by an act of omission to those same people?
“Indeed, in 2001, you may recall that after thousands were killed in Plateau State, a State of Emergency was declared and a Governor was replaced by an Administrator.“To suggest that our Administration is doing nothing is terribly unfair.

“We must not forget that the same Plateau State which has been crisis-ridden for years has in the past three years been celebrated for its peacefulness. The Governor’s hard work for peace and the presence of the military’s Operation Safe Haven must have had some impact.”
Buhari observed that the recent killings in Benue, Zamfara and lately Plateau are wicked, condemnable and completely unacceptable acts, saying that Nigerians, are religious people and no religion or culture accepts the killing of people for any reason whatsoever.
He said this is why all must rise as one to condemn “these vile and wicked acts to ensure that all the culprits are brought to justice.”
The president added: “We owe it to the memory of those who lost their lives in the violence in Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Zamfara and elsewhere since 1999 to bring the conflicts to a decisive end. I assure you that we will do this.

“Let me make it clear that even a single life lost in any part of the country is one too many. I came to office vowing to ensure the protection of lives and property, and I remain committed to this despite the challenges we have experienced.”
He sought the support of the religious leaders, informing that beyond deploying forces, government is creating the platform and mechanisms for dialogue is a collective effort.

Meanwhile, the Northern states CAN has tasked the president to be more proactive in dealing with the herdsmen killings in the zone.

In a 10-point prayer presented to the president during the meeting, Chairman CAN Northern States, Rev Yakubu Pam, said: “That the security architecture of the country should be re-visited to give it a new lease of life and responsiveness to earn the required trust, confidence, and support of the general populace.“

All communities ravaged by the herdsmen violence in the North should be rebuilt and adequate security be put in place to enable displaced persons to return to their homes and means of livelihood

“The Federal Government should roll out a robust advocacy programme to enlighten the nomadic herders on modern cattle rearing against open grazing and roaming across states and national boundaries.

“The federal government should encourage herders to acquire land for cattle ranching across the country as a means of private business investment “

The Federal Government under the current administration is celebrating an agricultural revolution, most farmers, especially in the north, can no longer go to their farms due to the sustained attacks by armed herdsmen. We, therefore, urge the government to reconcile its priority by providing the necessary safety for the farmers to go on with their farming activities.
“Observe that the continuous abduction of underaged Christian girls who are forcefully converted to Islamic religion and given out for marriage without the consent of their parents breeds religious disharmony. We, therefore, wish to state that the situation does not only violate the fundamental human rights of the girls but is also a call to anarchy if such actions were to get an even score by the Christian population. The appeal, therefore, is for your quick intervention to ensure that the numerous girls held under such circumstances are released to their parents. 

“In the spirit of the above observation, we wish to demand that intensive and speedy actions should be taken for the release of girls in captivity, especially Leah Sharibu.
“That all perpetrators including the so-called foreigners as alleged of these heinous crimes against humanity in parts of northern states should be arrested and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others 
“The Federal Government should as a matter of urgency make adequate provisions for farmers who have been adversely affected by this undesirable herdsmen attacks.

“We are appealing to Mr President to call on his colleagues in politics irrespective of a political parties to work together and make 2019 election to be free and fair and a model for all other African countries.

Meanwhile, Mrs Leah Solomon, Woman Leader of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States, Thursday knelt and cried before President Muhammadu Buhari over the massacre of Christians especially women and children by herdsmen.
She was part of the CAN delegation that met with then president to seek his intervention in the deadly attacks attributable to Fulani herdsmen.   

But after a photo session at the end of the meeting, the woman seized the opportunity of individual handshake with the president to draw his attention to herself, held his hand, knelt and requested for an audience for northern Christian women with the president on the issue of killings.

President Buhari immediately directed the State Chief of Protocol (SCOP), Lawal Kazaure, to take up the matter.
Speaking with State House correspondents, Mrs. Solomon explained her action, saying: “I was in deep pains when I see the killings of the innocent ones and also the mothers. I was in pains and I was asking if His Excellency will grant us an audience as the Christian women in the Northern states so that we can come and cry and pray also that the innocent children will be able to be saved in the nation in fourth generation.
“It is a painful thing because the mother with the child no one can divide them. The child feeds from the umbilical cord and no one can disengage the love between a child and the mother, That was the pains I had in me and I was crying if he can listen and give us the audience as Christian.”