United States Condemns Nigeria’s Rural Herder-farmer Violence in Plateau

The United States has condemned in the strongest possible terms the killing of civilians and destruction of property in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region over the weekend.

Heather Nauert

 In a statement released on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, U.S. Department of State Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs,  Heather Nauert, said the United States is concerned by the recent increase in armed violence against civilians and called on leaders to lend their voice to peace.

“We are concerned by the recent increase in armed violence against civilians and call on all political and community leaders to lend their voices to peace and to work together to find lasting solutions to these rural conflicts.

“We are concerned by the recent increase in armed violence against civilians and call on all political and community leaders to lend their voices to peace and to work together to find lasting solutions to these rural conflicts".

President Buhari

“We join President Buhari and others in sending our deepest condolences to the affected communities, and in the desire to see the perpetrators brought to justice and to prevent further violence,” the statement read.

According to unconfirmed reports, more than 100 people were killed Over the weekend, in a clash between farmers and herders in the region. President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the attack  while some Nigerians believed the government needs to step up its game to secure lives and properties of all Nigerians.

National Assembly leaders meets with Buhari

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to reorganize the country’s security.

The national assembly leaders met with the president at Aso Rock earlier in today Wednesday June 27..

House Speaker Yakubu Dogara

In a statement issued after the meeting by Speaker Dogara,, the nation’s number four citizen said Buhari briefed them on the steps the government is taking to address the situation.

“Today, I and President of the Senate, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, met with President Muhammadu Buhari over the #Plateau violence,” he said.

“We requested for the meeting in order to hear from the president the steps and measures the executive is taken to end the orgy of killings and violence not only on the Plateau but in other parts of the country.

“We also used the opportunity to advise the President on other measures and actions that will help bring lasting peace in our country in accordance with the resolutions passed at the joint emergency closed-door session of the national assembly held some weeks ago.

Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki

“We call on all relevant government agencies to quickly provide emergency relief services to people in the affected areas.

“The house of representatives and indeed the national assembly will continue to work towards providing all necessary legislative backing to the security agencies more especially funding needed to reform and equip our armed forces to tackle the prevailing security challenges confronting us as a nation.

“I am also restating my earlier call for a total reform and overhaul of our internal security architecture which has failed to address the spate of insecurity in the land.”

Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki has earlier addressed state house correspondents on the outcome of the meeting.

 Governor Simon Lalong

“We met with the president to first of all commiserate with him and get a briefing from him. Part of the briefing he explained how steps are being taken to forestall reoccurrence and restore sanity because this is a great concern to him and to us also,” the senate president said.

“To see what can be done with NEMA and security agencies, we will all work towards ending it, nobody is happy with it and we will all come together to ensure that we restore sanity."

“We commiserate with all families, it is our own intention to also go and pay our own condolence visit to the people of Plateau. Our general appeal at the end of the day is that we all live together in peace and harmony and we will continue to do our best to see that this kind of thing does not happen again.”