Afenifere tasks UN on alleged ethnic cleansing by herdsmen in Nigeria

Following allegations by a former Chief of Army Staff and Defence Minister Theophilus Danjuma on the Nigerian Army, Afenifere has called for the intervention of the United Nations (UN) against herdsmen attacks.

The pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, rising from a meeting on Tuesday called on the UN, Special Rapporteur on genocide to probe what it described as alleged ethnic cleansing by herdsmen in Nigeria.

Danjuma had during an event last week in Taraba State accused the Nigerian Army of aiding the killer herdsmen to brutally massacre innocent Nigerians and take over their lands. He had then called on Nigerians to defend themselves as no one will save them from attacks by the marauders.

Sequel to Danjuma’s comment, the Afenifere during their monthly meeting on Tuesday at the country home of their national leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, said that the allegation by the former Defence Minister is weighty, damming and must be taken seriously.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, the group’s national publicity secretary, Yinka Odumakin said, “The meeting noticed the recent comments on ethnic cleansing across the country and the complicity of the armed forces by General Theophilus Danjuma.

“Danjuma should be taken seriously because as former Chief of Army Staff and Defence Minister, he knows and has a deep knowledge of the military and could not have spoken in vain.

“The military, in responding to Danjuma’s allegations, claimed they are neutral in the one sided killing that is going on in Nigeria when those, who should enforce the law and ensure that the killing is stopped and killers are arrested, claimed neutrality when Nigerians are being slaughtered in droves.

“This is the greatest admission of the fact that their state aided genocide going on in Nigeria when the Army begins to claim responsibility.

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“We demand, from Nigerian authorities, the immediate disarmament of the exclusive terror machine in the hands of herdsmen and the reorganisation of the architecture of security of Nigeria to reflect federal character.

“We ask the United Nations Special Rapporteur on genocide to investigate what is going on in Nigeria. If this disaster unfolds into full scale war, the international community would have a deep problem on its hands.”

 

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