BENUE KILLINGS: NBA disappointed in Buhari as cleric threatens curses on leaders

Benue State chapter of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration of being indifferent to the killings in Benue State by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

The group expressed disappointment in the government through its chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Agbakor, who spoke to newsmen in Makurdi.
He said, “The NBA is totally disappointed, disenchanted and absolutely disillusioned at the display of apathy by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, with respect to the wanton, reckless and unwarranted killings.

“We condemn, in strong terms, the recurring invasion of the state by herdsmen and the concomitant nonchalant cum indifferent posture of the Federal Government concerning the problem. We overwhelmingly voted the President into power as Nigeria’s President but he has dramatically become ethnic and does not see anything wrong with what his kinsmen, the Fulani, are doing in different parts of the country, including Benue State. This is totally unacceptable. A government which is incapable of defending her people is simply, to say the least, not worth its salt.”

Similarly, a Catholic cleric, Rev. Fr. Kwaggas Matthew, has threatened that Christians may soon have no option than to rain curses on leaders, who have forsaken their basic function of securing the lives of the citizens.

The cleric who stated this in Abuja on Sunday in response to the killings suspected to be masterminded by Fulani herdsmen in Benue and some other states of the federation, wondered how the government that swore to protect the lives and property of Nigerians remained silent in the face of wanton destruction of lives and properties.

The cleric from Borno State and Parish Priest of Church of the Annunciation Parish, Kubwa, Abuja, made the statement during his homily at the Feast of Epiphany.

READ ALSO: Political opportunists playing ‘dangerous politics’ with herdsmen attacks- Osinbajo

Regretting how herdsmen got the sophisticated guns they are using to allegedly massacre Nigerians, the cleric charged Nigerians to start protecting themselves in a situation the government failed to protect them.

Citing the past attacks in Agatu, Guma and Logo of Benue State, Kaduna, Plateau, Adamawa, Enugu, Taraba, Borno and other parts of the country by suspected herdsmen, which led to deaths of many Nigerians, the Catholic priest said, “We will soon start raining curses on the leaders, who are not helping us. How did the herdsmen killing people get the guns?”

Attacks in Benue between January 1 and 5, by suspected Fulani herdsmen have left no less than 49 persons dead, several injured and millions of Naira worth of properties destroyed.

Benue State’s Governor Samuel Ortom was quoted as saying in an interview on Sunday that the Federal Government and the various security agencies have abandoned the citizens of the state to be massacred by Fulani herdsmen who have run amok.

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