President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the recent spate of sporadic violence across the nation which has led to the death of over 100 people and decried the on-going culture of “an eye for an eye” that has fueled a number of attacks and reprisal attacks, within some communities. The president also appealed to Nigerians to refrain from comments in the traditional and social media, especially by people who have little knowledge of the history of the longstanding conflict, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Tuesday.
The violence coincided with chronic insecurity in the country’s northeast, where 2,000 people were evacuated on Tuesday ahead of an expected government operation against Boko Haram jihadists. In the southeastern state of Rivers, eight people were killed early Monday when armed men attacked the village of Emohua in the Ogoni region, said local chief Sunny Odum. State police spokesman Nnamdi Omoni said the attack was a “cult-related incident,” a term typically denoting gangs or criminals who are hired for political gain and often blend belief or black-magic rituals in their acts.
In the northern state of Katsina, 14 people were killed on Sunday in clashes between cattle thieves and a civilian militia armed by the government to support the security forces, police said. The fighting in Tsamiyar Jino, in Kankara region, claiming the lives of seven rustlers and seven vigilantes, said Katsina police spokesman Gambo Isa. “The volunteers went into the forest and engaged the bandits despite being warned by the police never to confront the bandits on their own… because of the sophisticated weapons the bandits have and their good knowledge of the terrain,” Isa said.
No fewer than 36 persons were killed in a clash between vigilantes and bandits in Tsaminyar-Jino community in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State. The development, according to the residents, started on Sunday when the vigilantes killed one Baban Kusa, a suspected bandit terrorising the community. The vigilantes were said to have stormed the community market at about 1:39.p.m and killed Kusa, which led to a reprisal by the bandits. The police, however, said 14 people were killed during the clash. Confirming the clash to newsmen Tuesday, the Village Head of Tsamiyar Jino, Alhaji Ja’afaru Bello, said 36 persons were killed and many sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Cattle theft is a chronic, and frequently violent, problem in the states of Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger, and thieves are acquiring more and more sophisticated weapons. On April 2, at least 50 people were killed in Sakajiki village in Zamfara, the worst-hit state, the state government said last Friday.
After two police were killed at the weekend at Birnin Gwari, around 200 angry protestors on Monday blocked the road between Kaduna and Zamfara to demand better security. Separately, the media on Tuesday reported that 20 people were massacred in the region of Kajuru, in Kaduna state, in fighting between crop farmers and nomadic herders. A state police spokesman confirmed the incident but declined to give further immediate details.
In the southwestern state of Ondo, a bank holdup late Monday turned bloody, leaving seven people dead, including a policeman and five wounded. The authorities have repeatedly said they are taking action. The governor of Zamfara state has announced that 1,700 “traditional hunters” will be hired to strengthen local self-protection groups, in addition to 8,500 who were recruited in 2018. These vigilantes have been criticized for lacking training and modern weapons and for abusing human rights.
President Buhari said “there is no issue that dominates my mind every 24 hours like security. Protecting the citizens of my country is one of the primary functions of my administration,” he said. On Tuesday, facing a mounting toll from attacks and reprisals, Buhari appealed for peace and condemned the culture of “an eye for an eye.”
Buhari enjoined traditional and religious leaders to be cautious with their comments on the conflict, insisting that whatever words they share publicly should not be inflammatory but be inspired by an interest in peace. While condoling with those who lost loved ones in the attacks, the president said: “The entire nation grieves with you. The Nigerian army and police are already in the area to ensure that peace and security are restored.”
In response to reports of the resurgence of cultism leading to loss of lives in Rivers, Buhari condemned the cultist killings and ordered for increased community and law enforcement action against its escalation. He also called on law enforcement agencies to intensify efforts to end the menace. The President urged quick and effective intervention by community and civic leaders in support of law enforcement efforts, in all such areas bedeviled by cultist attacks and inter-communal violence.
