Garba Shehu: Buhari feels this is the best time to visit Benue

Garba Shehu, spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari, says the president’s visit to Benue state is not politically inclined.

Buhari is visiting Benue and other trouble spots across the country, following killings, most of which are as a result of clashes between herdsmen and farmers.

However, some Nigerians are saying that Buhari’s visit to Benue – where 73 persons were reportedly killed by herdsmen in January, is coming late.

Reacting, Shehu said the president chose to act on the killings rather than merely visiting the place.

Shehu, who was speaking on a Channels TV programme, said the president was engaging in more of acting than talking to stop the killings.

He said: “Before the president’s visits, a statement was issued that he will be going there. He thought now is the best time to go there and see things on the ground and make important decisions.

“I would have thought that if he had intended to inject politics into it, he would have been on the plane the morning after the incident (in Benue).

“But he chose to act, rather than to talk and as you have seen yourself over this period of time, there was intervention by law enforcement, there was intervention by NEMA and aid agencies.”

Shehu also berated those accusing the president of “playing politics” with the killings.

“They are just celebrating and exalting over all of these matters instead of coming together so that we can solve the problems,” he said.