Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday offered
another round of defense for the traditional herdsmen, saying they do not carry
guns, but sticks, reports ITRealms.
ITRealms gathered
from reports monitored in Lagos, that Buhari insisted the herdsmen crisis has been
an age-long challenge in Nigeria.
“The problem of herders in Nigeria is a very long historical
thing. The Nigerian herders don’t carry anything more than a stick and
occasionally a matchet to cut down foliage and give it to their animals, these
ones are carrying AK-47.
“So, people should not underrate what happened in Libya. 43
years of Ghaddaffi, people were recruited from the Sahel and trained to shoot
and kill. With the demise of Ghaddaffi they moved to other countries and region
and carried the experience with them,” he said.
President Buhari added that this is what is aggravating
herdsmen crisis in Nigeria. He also appreciated the United States government
for assisting in Nigeria’s fight against insurgency and for US military
presence in Nigeria.
“We are grateful to the United States for agreeing to give
us the aircraft that we asked for. We are even more grateful for the physical
presence of the United States military officials in Nigeria. Our institutions
in Nigeria, for training them and going to the Northeast to see how they are
performing.
“The commitment of the United States to get rid of terrorism
across the world, we have fast earned experience from that and we are grateful
for it,” he said.
Ayo Midele/GEE with additional report from ChannelsTv.
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