Nigerians knock President Buhari as farmer, herder clashes claim 82 lives in Jos

Nigerians across social media platforms on Monday accused President Muhammadu Buhari of soft-peddling justice for the killer herdsmen in the country.

This is coming as recent farmers, herdsmen clash claimed 82 lives in Jos, Plateau state, the Middle belt region of the country.

Nigerian police said 86 people were killed in several villages as a result of the attacks but President Muhammadu Buhari likened the situation to desperate people and politicians seeking undue advantage of chaos and instability ahead of 2019 general elections.

Reacting to recent clashes in Plateau State which left scores dead, the President said: “We know that a number of geographical and economic factors are contributing to the longstanding herdsmen/farmers clashes. But we also know that politicians are taking advantage of the situation. This is incredibly unfortunate.”

According to him, “Nigerians affected by the herdsmen/ farmer clashes must always allow the due process of the law to take its course rather than taking matters into their own hands.”

ALSO READ: Nigerian youths slam President Buhari on social media

In a statement released by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) on Monday, June 25, 2018, the Presidency said about one hundred cattle had been rustled by a community in Plateau State, and some herdsmen were killed in the process.

The President's statement came as the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) explained why herdsmen were allegedly involved in the recent attacks that led to the death of at least 86 people in 11 communities in Barkin-Ladi, Riyom, and Jos South local government areas of Plateau State on Saturday, June 23, 2018.

Nigeria's premier pastoralist body claimed that the attack may be as a retaliation for the surge in cattle rustling in the state.

But Nigerians across the social media platforms believed that the Muhammadu Buhari is soft-peddling justice for the herders, who belong to the same Fulani ethnic group as the president.

Here are some of their messages:

[No available link text]

Meanwhile. Nigeria's vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo visited Plateau State Monday evening to address the leaders over the renewed killings, said the country will not shy away from resolving the issue.

“We cannot continue with this continuous cycle of killings. They are vicious and horrible, “ The vice president said in a tweet.

ALSO READ: Nigeria has the highest amount of people on death row in Sub-Saharan Africa

He said the Major-General of Operation Safe haven has assured the government that arrests have been made and further arrests will be made concerning those that perpetrated the act.

According to Amnesty International, clashes between herdsmen and farmers claimed at 549 lives and displaced thousands across 14 states in 2017 while 168 deaths were recorded in January 2018 alone.

The International human rights organisation had said the Nigerian authorities’ response to communal violence was totally inadequate, too slow and ineffective, and in some cases unlawful.

Nigerians knock President Buhari as farmer, herder clashes claim 82 lives in Jos

Enhance Your Pulse News Experience!

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!