By our reporter| The Presidency has denied recent comments attributed to Governor Samuel Ortom that President Buhari was silent over the issue of armed herdsmen causing havoc across the country.
Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina who responded to the Ortoms allegation while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the President’s position on the issue of killer herdsmen is that anyone caught with illegal arms should be arrested and tried.
“If the Governor would say he hasn’t heard the President speak on that matter, that’s what he should make clear; it’s not that the President hasn’t spoken,” Mr. Adesina said.
“Because the number of times the President has spoken on that issue . . . and his position has always been the same: anybody, whoever he is, that carries arms unlawfully should be arrested and prosecuted. The President has said it countless times.”
When asked how many herdsmen have been arrested in recent times, Mr. Adesina said “I don’t have that figure at my fingertips . . . but I know that a lot of people are awaiting trial.”
On suggestions that ranching could be the solution to clashes between farmers and herdsmen, Adesina said all suggestions should be discussed and pointed to the Federal Government’s Ruga program, which was rejected by some states.
“Nigeria is a peculiar country where the federal government has no land,” and if states say they have no land for ranches, then another solution has to be found.
“So we need to discuss these things and appraise them critically until we can get to what we can call ‘the’ solution,” he stated.
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