FG Must Stop Senseless Killings Of Nigerians – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on the Federal Government to stop the senseless killings of Nigerians by Fulani herdsmen.

Olusegun Obasanjo

Obasanjo, who spoke at the graveside of the 73 persons that were massacred by the herdsmen in Benue State on January 1, 2018, described the killings as senseless.

He advised Governor Samuel Ortom not to give up on the Anti-Open Grazing Law, saying he should rally all Nigerians with patriotic sentiments to end the killings in his home state

Obasanjo, who stopped over in Makurdi, Benue State capital briefly on Saturday after the meeting of the Zero Hunger Forum held in Maiduguri, also laid a wreath at the tomb of the victims of the massacre.

He argued that Nigeria couldn’t talk about a free and secure country until the killings were stopped.

According to him, “There is no doubt that we haven’t got it right. We haven’t got it right because whatever is behind this (killings), normally in any civilised society, you must get to the root of it.

“And until we get to the root of this, we will be burying victims; we will be assuming what is not assumable and we will put an end to it, and somebody must accept responsibility to put an end to this, or if it has to be collective responsibility, then so be it. But, there must be an end to it.

“Now, we cannot talk of a free country, a secure country, a country where we want development to take place, where we want to invite investors; outside and from inside, and we are suffering this type of senselessness (killings). I do hope there will be an end to this
“Governor (Ortom), please, accept my condolences and do not give up trying to work with men and women that have the interest of this state, and the interest of Nigeria at heart to find a permanent solution.

“That is to go beyond what is on the surface and we need to find out what is at that bottom of it and that is the responsibility of leaders, and of cause
they must leave no stone unturned to find out the root cause of this and put a stop to it.”

On the January 1 killings and events thereafter, Obasanjo said: “It is sad beyond description for me and that it why I have taken it upon myself to visit the state to see things for myself.