Buhari's Aide Says Criminalizing Fulani Herdsmen Is Evil

Following the eviction orders issued to Fulani herdsmen over increased criminal activities in some communities across the country, the social media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, Lauretta Onochie has said accusing the herdsmen of every heinous act perpetrated by criminals is evil. 

Onochie also alleged that many critics of the Buhari administration were driven by hate and bitterness, and criminalising Fulani herdsmen was an act of fishing for trouble.

She made this known in a string of tweets on Monday while reacting to a statement by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) that all kidnapping stories are traced to Fulani herdsmen.

She also advised those seeking a change of government to wait till 2023 as the ballot box is usually the best way to do so. 

She tweeted: “If Emeka, Chijioke and Adanma commit crimes in any state, Emeka, Chijioke and Adanma alone are arrested and charged. Not Ndigbo.

“If Adeleke, Ayodele and Iyabo commit crimes in any state, Adeleke, Ayodele and Iyabo alone would usually be arrested and charged. Not the Yoruba nation.

"However, when the criminal is Musa, Aliyu or Ibrahim, the whole Fulani nation is guilty. Sometimes, Fulanis who have lived in the area for decades, are made to suffer the consequences of crimes committed by others. Why is this? They are Fulanis, Pres Buhari’s ethnic group.

“If there’s an ethnic or community clash where lives and properties are lost, we pick and choose which to attribute to community clash & which to lay on the doorsteps of the Fulanis, President Buhari’s ethnic group in order to satisfy the craving for more bitterness & hatred towards President Buhari.

“There’s no tribe that is free of bad eggs. But criminalising an ethnic group because you don’t like President Buhari’s face, is nothing short of evil and fishing for trouble.

READ ALSO: Herdsmen Vacation: Ezekwesili Says She Detests Buhari’s Leadership Style

She further said issues have been recycled to the point that those who benefit from the chaos have not noticed the strides the Buhari’s government has made.

“After restructuring, they moved to Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram. Then an international “ombudsman” organisation, released statistics showing that in spite of security challenges, Nigeria is safer under this government than the previous.

“They didn’t give it a mention. It was not what they wanted for Nigeria and Nigerians. They wallowed in the mud of disappointment. They are now back to restructuring and Fulani herdsmen. They decided that the two topics wailed together, would make more impact.

“Although they have refused to take their liberty, local government councils, state houses of assembly and state judiciaries have been granted autonomy through executive orders signed by Mr President. What more can he do! Drop? #BabaNoDeyDrop #CrimeHasNoTribe #StopTheHatred.

Conclusively, she said “Those threatening mayhem must calm down, take a deep breath and remember that this is the only nation we can truly call, “ours”. The ballot box is usually, the best way to change a government. That’s in 2023.″