My dear people of Nigeria, it is with profound grief I address you today.

In the past few years, we have suffered and endured a debilitating state of insecurity in Nigeria. Many lives have been cut short while many more have been maimed. Hopes and dreams have been dashed; families distraught and destroyed. Murderous herdsmen and rival gangs reign supreme. Our once peaceful country has lost its serenity and lustre. We are now been derisively referred to as ‘Nigeria of Blood’.

However, the killings in Benue in the first few hours of this new year and the uninspiring, inept, blame-game response of a Federal government that swore to an oath to protect every Nigerian man and woman should collectively compel us to action and scream that we’ve had enough of the insecurity and bloodbath.

In the early hours of New Year’s Day, defenceless residents of Benue, Kwara, Rivers among others were gruesomely attacked and murdered on their way home from the new year cross over night church service. More than 100 men, women and children were murdered in the attacks. In the first couple of days of this new year, people have also been murdered in Lagos.

Some 48 hours after the Benue massacre, the response of the President and government of Nigeria whose primary responsibility is to protect you from these kind of attacks was a gabble blather about a communal clashes and to launch another round of attacks on people that politely advised them to protect Nigerian people or resign from office.

Like most of you, I was shocked, utterly disgusted to hear the man, who, I must repeat, took an oath to protect you, attempt to justify and casually explain away the cold-blooded murder of innocent Nigerians in Benue on New Year’s Day. The President’s attempt to justify and compare the Benue murders or any other killings in Nigeria to whatever is happening in any other part of the world is a deceitful, poisonous narrative that we must never allow to flourish. The President’s repugnant attempt at finger pointing, blaming oil companies, opposition politicians and everyone else apart from himself, is a clear indication that he has abdicated his primary constitutional responsibility to safeguard lives and property.

You know, and many outside Nigeria know that the nature and type of insecurity, violence and carnages in the Country are unique and peculiar to the Country. The madness in Nigeria since the advent of these Change men of power is rooted firmly in the witchcraft politics of those who now preside over the affairs of the Country. They lack the political will and have devilishly refused to halt the violence and killings, and restore some level of sanity in the Country because of their mischievous politics and voodoo electoral calculations.

Let no one deceive you with a twisted narrative on the origins, causes and solutions to the bloodbath in Nigeria. Most of you can attest to how I battled and tackled insecurity when I served as a governor. I led the fight against the cultists, gangs, thugs and criminals masquerading as militants or herdsmen; they were driven out from hiding, many fled. I was able to do that because I was never in bed with the herdsmen; I never appointed any into political office or crowned any king. The administration I led was able to return the State to serenity from the horrible state of insecurity and violence we met when we took over. Nigerians enjoyed peace until the months leading up to the 2015 general elections when these my fellow ‘change’ men of power in the country introduced unprecedented violence and killings in the Country.

We cannot continue to live like this. The Benue massacre is the breaking point where we must all collectively rise up and raise our voices to say we’ve had enough. The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation who swore an oath to protect us must now protect us or resign from office. We will no longer tolerate his inability and/or refusal to protect defenceless citizens. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

My thoughts and prayers are with all who lost loved ones in the Benue attack, as we continue to pray for the repose of the souls of those who were murdered. I do hope that the federal government will begin to protect you.

I wish everyone the very best and a peaceful, happy new year.

Hmm

Fake!