…describes presidential aides’ statement on incident as a mockery, insensitive, irresponsible
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, has come under heavy attack over his statement on the recent killing of the defenceless people of Gbeji in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Convener of the Benue Republicans, Chief Peter Shande, described Shehu’s statement as “a mockery, insensitive and irresponsible,” stating that “the innocent people of Gbeji and indeed other parts of the state do not have any recorded instance of political disagreement with President Buhari as he claimed he has with the Governor, Samuel Ortom.
Shande asked the presidential aide to stop defending Buhari’s inability or deliberate refusal to protect the lives of Nigerians.
In a statement, Shande who condemned Shehu’s remarks on the incident, said his assertion that President Buhari and Governor Ortom have often disagreed on political issues is elusive, meaningless and had no relationship with the unprovoked killing of the people of Gbeji in Benue State by Fulani herdsmen.
According to him, “There is no recorded report that the people of Gbeji have ever disagreed on political issues with President Buhari that his Federal Government should not protect them from the rampaging killer Fulani herdsmen.
“Does Shehu want Nigerians to believe that the killing of innocent Nigerians all over the country by the Fulani killers is as a result of Buhari’s political disagreement with the various state governors?
“Is Shehu also confirming to Nigerians that killing and destruction are the ways of life of his brother Fulani herdsmen, since he warned that they should not be attacked because of their way of life”?
“This further confirms Shehu’s usual attempts to cover up the President’s failure or deliberate refusal to protect the lives of Nigerian citizens.”