Posted on: 05:14 Mon, 02 May 2016



An organisation led by the Sultan
of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, has
described as “absurd” and
“unfortunate” the widespread
insinuation that Fulani herdsmen
are responsible for the attacks on
villagers in Benue, Enugu,
Nasarawa and other parts of the
country.

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, a
coalition of several Islamic groups
in Nigeria, stated this on Sunday.
The Sultan is the head of the JNI.

In the statement, signed by Khalid
Aliyu, the organisation’s secretary-
general, the JNI said it was shocked
by the attacks.

“Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI)
received with great shock and deep
concern the news of incessant
killings and maiming of innocent
lives and the destruction of public
and private properties.

“Of particular concern are the
brutal murders of people in Agatu-
Benue state, Nnibo-Enugu state and
some parts of Nasarawa state.

“It is indeed alarming that within
few weeks, deadly attacks were
reportedly unleashed while the
perpetrators go un-arrested. JNI
therefore condemns in strong terms
these repeated heinous attacks and
once again calls on the relevant
security agencies to brace up to the
trends, in order to put a stop to this
ugly tide, as human lives are sacred
and must be seen to be treated as
so,” the statement said.

The JNI said the attacks were
criminal in nature and should be
treated as such.

“The repeated heinous acts of
attacks are crimes against the
citizenry and the perpetrators are
therefore criminals and must be
treated so.”

Foramfera
It, however, said the attacks were
not carried out by Fulani
herdsmen.

“It is indeed absurd and most
unfortunate that certain groups or
people ascribe the incidence on
ethnic and/or religious premise and
to whimsically apportion blame in
order to batter the gradual
restoration of peace and security in
Nigeria,” it said.

The JNI, which commiserated with
the victims of the attack, also called
for “concerted introspection and
commitment by relevant agencies
to take proactive and effective
measures in addressing this
pernicious problem.”

Nigerians have condemned the
attacks; and affected communities
have blamed security agencies for
not protecting them against their
attackers who they said were
herdsmen. Many Nigerians have
also blamed President Muhammadu
for not acting strongly enough to
condemn the attacks and arrest the
perpetrators.

Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, who
criticised the presidency’s
response, stated that “I have yet to
hear this government articulate a
firm policy of non-tolerance for the
serial massacres that have become
the nation’s identification stamp.”

The JNI, however, said the
authorities have absolved the
herdsmen, mainly of Fulani
ethnicity, of involvement in the
attacks. The JNI’s claim is contrary
to that of a leader of the Fulani
herdsmen who admitted to
PREMIUM TIMES that they carried
out the attack in Benue as a
retaliation to the murder of some of
their leaders

“Well, the Commissioner of Police,
Enugu State has debunked the
rumours, likewise the Inspector
General of Police has also debunked
the insinuations over those being
blamed,” the JNI said.