Publish list of herders undergoing trial, Presidency tells police

The Presidency has asked the police to publish the list of herdsmen undergoing criminal trial.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Mr Garba Shehu said thousands of people were undergoing prosecution for offences related to the conflict between herders and farmers.

Garba, who spoke during a Channels TV broadcast, absolved President Buhari of complicity in the crisis.

He said, “We are not following up stories as media, otherwise, if you know the thousands of people… and I hope the headquarters of the police will take responsibility and publish the full list of Fulani herders who are undergoing trials in various states particularly in Benue State.

“Trials are going on, convictions are being made and the president cannot be complicit; it is very uncharitable. The president cannot be complicit in the kinds of things being said of him.

“The president is more than concerned of the ongoing situation and he is fully conscious of the fact that it is the responsibility of his government to work with Nigerians to secure lives and stop the ongoing crisis whether they are kidnapping or the new line of ethnic violence. He condemns it and he does not support it”.

Garba urged community leaders to work with the President and security agencies to check the problem.

“Community leaders — local and traditional — must work with the president. To say the president is doing nothing is because there is impunity. Impunity is in the country because there are big men, VIPs,” he said.

“The country’s military as we speak are overstretched because they are active in at least 34 of the 36 states including the FCT.”