Former President Goodluck Jonathan has reacted to the claims by the presidency that 756 Nigerians were killed under his administration.
Jonathan in a statement issued by his media office to DAILY POST on Thursday, described the statement as mischievous and false.
He blasted the special adviser on media and publicity to President
Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina for trivalizing such heinous crime.
He further condoled with victims of Benue, Kaduna, Taraba, Adamawa
and Nasarawa states, over the recent spate of killings by Fulani
herdsmen.
The statement reads “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 trivialized.
“For the avoidance of doubt, let it be known that the figure of 756
is wrong. But the issue is not that it is a false figure, the issue is
that former President Jonathan was not inactive in the face of Fulani
herdsmen killings during his Presidency.
“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, former President Jonathan 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.
“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 that heavily criticized 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 the 15th of July 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.”