The Nigerian government says it has evidence that some politicians are behind the incessant herder-farmer clashes, which have resulted in the killing of hundreds of Nigerians this year.
To this end, President Muhammadu Buhari’s media aide Garba Shehu said on Sunday that the federal government was working closely with state governments and the security services, as well as international partners, to end the killings.
“As President (Muhammadu) Buhari indicated lately, there is evidence of involvement of some politicians using criminals to perpetuate the killings,” he said in a statement.
But the media aide appealed to Nigerians to refrain from spreading false stories concerning the recent herder-farmer clashes.
Shehu added that the clashes between herders and farmers were historical while the causes of the confrontations witnessed were complex and varied.
According to him, climate change, specifically the drying up of the Chad Basin had led to more pressure on the population in the northern part of Nigeria, thereby compounded the problem.
“We are strongest as a nation when we are united and it is through unity that we will overcome this challenge,” he added.
Buhari add earlier reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to bringing violent conflicts in Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Zamfara and other flash-points to a decisive end.
He said this when he received members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) from the 19 northern states and Abuja at the Presidential Villa.
He had also urged the Christian community and Nigerians, in general, to complement government efforts by working firmly for a united and strong Nigeria.
