The statement by the presidency that 756 Nigerians were killed by Fulani herdsmen in two years during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan has been described as mischievous and callous.

Jonathan’s former aide, Reno Omokri, in a statement thursday, stressed that the figure of 756 was wrong, adding that the former president dealt decisively with the Fulani herdsmen crisis.


He expressed disappointment that the presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi Adeshina, was trivialising the issue.

The statement read in part: “Former President Jonathan wishes to express his condolences to the government and people of Benue, Kaduna, Taraba, Adamawa and Nasarawa States, over the recent spate of killings occasioned by herdsmen/farmers clashes.

“His heart bleeds for the sufferings of Nigerians and he calls on the authorities to do everything in their power to put an end to these needless killings.

“Having said that, let it be known that we find the statement by the presidency stating that 756 Nigerians were killed by Fulani herdsmen in two years under the government of former President Jonathan as a mischievous assertion by a callous presidential spokesman who thinks that death is something to be trivialised.”

According to Omokri, while in office, the former president knew that the capacity of the Nigerian police would be challenged by the sophistication of arms available to the herdsmen and so after he was elected president and sworn in on May 29, 2011, he then summoned a National Security Council meeting and ordered that Fulani herdsmen attack must be decisively dealt with.

“In July 2012, the Plateau State government reported that herdsmen killings had reached a head in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area leading to tens of deaths of Nigerian citizens by Fulani herdsmen, many of whom were not even Nigerian citizens.

“Then President Jonathan, when briefed about the situation insisted that there would not be such impunity under his leadership and immediately ordered the army and the air force to go to the affected communities and fish out the perpetrators and bring them to book.

“The military immediately obeyed the then president’s orders and sent troops and helicopters to Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.

“They ordered all residents to leave their residence for temporary accommodation provided for them so they could conduct a joint air and ground operation to flush out the armed herdsmen who had been suspected of killing innocent Nigerians.

“The residents complied and the soldiers went in and not only did they clear the area, they made arrests which led to trials and convictions.”

Continuing, he said: “We wish to remind Nigerians that when this episode was being carried out, it was precisely members of the opposition who later became the All Progressive Congress (APC) that heavily criticised then President Jonathan’s orders.

“In fact, a prominent member of the APC and now the Governor of Kaduna State and a known confidante of the President, Malam Nasir El-Rufai tweeted his now infamous tweet on July 15, 2012 threatening that ‘We will write this for all to read. Anyone, soldier or not that kills the Fulani takes a loan repayable one day no matter how long it takes.” (his exact words).

“So the question Nigerians need to ask instead of allowing themselves to be distracted by the statement from the presidency is this: Are Nigerians now repaying the ‘loan’ that El-Rufai threatened to make Nigeria repay?

“If the then president was not active in decisively sending the military after herdsmen, why would El-Rufai have been so pained to have made such a statement? Let it be known that the former president views herdsmen who kill unprovoked and with the intention of advancing their own economic and other interests as terrorists, pure and simple. Not only did he treat them as terrorists, he also put the military on high alert to protect Nigerian lives.

“In conclusion, we state that any group who kills to advance their agenda is a terror group and failure to address them as such is a disservice to the Nigerian people.”

http://www.akelicious.com/2018/01/jonathan-dealt-decisively-with-fulani.html

All we know is talk talk talk, accusations and no positive action.

PDP can never for once tell the truth. this is reason why we're all suffering now. If things were done at the right way during GEJ's regime, peace would've had it's way. As far as my government stand for change, nothing will stop us from achieving that not even the PDP. these crises must end soon and Nigeria will be great again

MBuhariGCFR:
PDP can never for once tell the truth. this is reason why we're all suffering now. If things were done at the right way during GEJ's regime, peace would've had it's way. As far as my government stand for change, nothing will stop us from achieving that not even the PDP. these crises must end soon and Nigeria will be great again

What is the right thing and why is your foolish bubu not doing the right thing (according to you) now?

Let me briefly utter the needful.
Before you come here to curse and abuse @MBuhari, go and arm yourself with your Voter's Card.

Online rantings and polls don't mean a thing.

Go and secure your Voter's Card, pls.