A prominent pro-democracy and non-governmental organisation, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to blame himself, and not the Nigerian media over the escalating terrorism of armed Fulani herdsmen against northern Christian farmers.

The rights group asked President Buhari to appreciate the enormity of the violence and view the killings as senseless acts of terrorism, and not mere farmers versus herders conflicts as his administration has continuously dished out false propaganda about the incidents that have resulted in over 6,000 deaths.

The rights group reminded President Muhammadu Buhari that armed Fulani herdsmen have also gunned down over 50 armed security forces which should have informed his administration of the urgency to take decisive steps to curb the menace.

In a statement made by president Buhari whilst visiting China, in which he blamed the media for misrepresentation of facts regarding the armed Fulani attacks, the rights group stated that the current government has continued to treat national security threat posed by armed Fulani terrorist as if it is a mere family misunderstanding.

HURIWA blamed president Buhari for elevating his ethno-religious interest above national interest by his government’s persistent failure to declare the Miyetti Allah Cattle Owners Association as a terrorist organisation.

HURIWA said it was incredible that president Buhari has continued to misrepresent the armed Fulani terrorist as a mere inter-ethnic conflict between herdsmen and farmers, when in actual fact, the armed Fulani herdsmen are rated as the third most deadly world terror group.

“May we inform Mr. president that he is the person to blame for the misrepresentation concerning the terrorism of armed Fulani killer gangs because his administration has handled this serious national security threat like a family affairs by not taking appropriate legal steps to crush the armed Fulani herdsmen and by failing to make the appropriate declaration of Miyetti Allah Cattle owners forum as a terrorist group.”

“There are two steps to stop the killings which are still going on in North Central states. The president must declare armed Fulani herdsmen as a terror organisation and order the military and law enforcement agencies to decisively deal with them in line with the law and secondly, all the killer armed Fulani herdsmen must be prosecuted and punished.”

“The national security team made up of persons from one section of the country whereby the suspected Fulani killers hail from have compromised by not arresting the killers and stop the proliferation of weapons. The media has played excellent role in line with section 22 of the constitutions”.

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