Sen Abaribe blames Buhari for increase in herdsmen attacks, escalating insecurity

Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe on Monday, criticised President Muhammadu Buhari on his handling of the ongoing herdsmen crisis across the country.

Abaribe made this assertion during a guest appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

According to the lawmaker, the President’s posture appeared to embolden the activities of these violent herdsmen.

“The President needs to come out and say I do not support these types of actions, these criminal elements,” Abaribe said.

“He has to come out and everybody sees that he is owning this problem.”

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“Where did the President ever say that these criminal herdsmen will never be tolerated in this country? What we’ve heard from 2016 all the way down is ‘live in peace with your neighbour’ and ‘try to accommodate your countrymen’ and stuff of that nature.

“And that now enables those who are committing these crimes, that there is no punishment.

“And when you see the rest of the country, eruptions here and there, all targetted at a particular segment of people, you should be very worried. And why you should be very worried is, what is it that gives these people the impetus to continue to commit these crimes?”

However, in a quick response to Abaribe, the presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu described the comments as “uncharitable.”

He stressed that the President, through his spokespersons, has condemned such violent activities.

“Senator Abaribe dwelt a lot, attacking President Muhammadu Buhari, saying that he has not, even at a rhetorical level, spoken against this kind of violence,” Shehu said. “That is most uncharitable.

“When Femi Adesina or myself speak for the President, people should accept that it is the President that is speaking.

“For this President, it is the actions that should speak for him. He is not a showman. He doesn’t have to be there.”

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