The Presidency has appealed to its citizens and members of the international community to refrain from spreading false stories and inflammatory statements concerning herder-farmer clashes.
The Federal Government, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, is working closely with state governments, the security services and international partners to resolve the issue.
Noting that the clashes between herders and farmers were historical, he said that the causes of the new confrontations are varied and complex.
โClimate change, specifically the drying up of the Chad Basin, has led to more pressure on the population in the North of Nigeria, which further compounded the problem.
โAs President Buhari indicated lately, there is evidence of involvement of some politicians using criminals to perpetuate the killings.
โClimate change is an issue of global significance and the Nigerian Government is determined to continue working closely with its neighbours in order to ensure that a long-term solution can be implemented.โ
The Federal Government, according to him, makes no distinction among the population and works tirelessly to protect the citizens.
โWe are strongest as a nation when we are united and it is through unity that we will overcome this challenge,โ he stated .
Also at the weekend, Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu said only a sick man or woman will accuse the President of supporting herdsmen to kill innocent Nigerians,
According to him, the Buhari he knows could not support killing of citizens under his administration.
He spoke in his resident in Abuja while hosting the outgoing Czech Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Pavel Mikes, to a dinner.
Those who attended the dinner included Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha, All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, Reformed-All Progressives Congress (R-APC) National Chairman Alhaji Buba Galadima, former APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun and Minister of Labour Chris Ngige.
Kalu said: โItโs surprising when people will accuse our President of supporting herdsmen. Itโs a sick man or woman that will be able to say that.
โI donโt know why a President of Nigeria would be expected to aid people to kill his citizens. Itโs embarrassing to even hear thatโฆ
โThe issue of herdsmen has become a big challenge to us since government dismantled Boko Haram. Itโs embarrassing to continue to see where human being will kill their fellow human beings. It is not acceptable to anybody created by God.โ
Being a former governor himself, he urged state governors to do more to end the series of herdsmen killings in the country.
Speaking with reporters on APC, he said: โAPC is on track, it is the most progressive party in Nigeria and sub-Sahara Africa. We are very ready for the next task.โ
On whether truce was in sight in APC since Galadima attended the dinner, he said: โThere was no meeting; it was dinner. Buba Galadima had been my personal friend. You remember I went to school in the University of Maiduguri. I know him and Dr. Haman Sule through President Buhari. I invited him for this dinner and he came.
โThrough our new comrade chairman, we have engaged most of them to get them back. We will control it because it is a family matter. In every family, you quarrel. All arms of the APC are busy talking, as much as we can talk to them. There is no panic.
โWe have not got to the destination. The destination is to bring back an APC President in 2019, which is Muhammadu Buhari.โ
