June 09, (THEWILL)- Elder Statesman and Former Deputy National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has expressed disappointment over the silence of President Muhammadu Buhari regarding the alleged killing of innocent Nigerians by Fulani herdsmen in Igangan community in Ibarapa area of Oyo State, where 11 people were confirmed dead.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos, Wednesday, George said that the fact that Buhari was a Fulani man was enough for him to come out and condemn these atrocities or even go further by paying a condolence visit to the community.
George said: “President Muhammadu Buhari’s silence on the killings of the people of Igangan community is dangerous and the fact that he is a Fulani man makes the matter worse. I know his media aides to be very fast in reacting to issues; but their silence on this particular incident is very suspicious.
“We are back again at a momentous period in the history of this fragile union. We are being pulled everywhere by fissiparous forces. There is fear, ruin, banditry and freelance murderousness from all corners of our beleaguered nation. The blood of innocent people flows in gory sights. Everything seems disturbed, distorted, sliding towards anarchical largeness.
“The senseless killings, the cruel inhuman massacre of the Igangan natives in the Yoruba heartland by suspected herdsmen in the wee hours of last Sunday has brought the seething malady right to our door steps. No one is safe anymore.
“I wonder, what hate, what evil, what madness will propel anyone of sane mind to plunge into the night with weapons of war, seeking out fellow citizens for pillage and murder? It puzzles rationality. It benumbs the senses.
“The Igangan massacre is now a watershed in these ceaseless psychopathic killings that now pester our country without let. It will continue to haunt us all.”
He said the incident was an indication that the central government had lost grip over collective protection.
George said: “This much the Northern Elders Forum affirmed on Monday. The NEF is of the view that there is a weakening of will and discernment among those who constitute the national arbitrating guidance.
“The centre appears overwhelmed, stunned, halted, stalled, puzzled about grappling with the Nigerian challenges. They can do better. We must review our focus and our ultimate horizon. Nigeria must withdraw from the destructive brink. But the way forward is through fairness, truth, justice and equitable accommodation.”
About the Author
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
