‘You’re shedding crocodile tears’ — Garba Shehu blasts northern, southern elders over killings

Garna Shehu, spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari, says some elders who recently raised the alarm over the high rate of insecurity are shedding crocodile tears.

After a one-day summit, leaders across the country issued a communique, accusing the federal  government of incompetence in tackling insecurity.

The leaders — from the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Afenifere, Ohaeneze Ndigbo, and Pan Niger Delta Forum — said the nation is witnessing “unprecedented incompetence” from the government.

Describing them as “selfish”, Shehu said  “the affected leaders felt alienated after a transparent and accountable system halted their disproportionate survival on resources of the state.”

He urged Nigerians to ignore what he described as “an unholy alliance these groups”.

He claimed the leaders were stepping up their assault on the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration “as it expands its national dominance and moves closer to securing an outright victory in the elections next year.”

He further referred anyone in dispute of the federal government’s effort in curtailing insecurity to a statement issued by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, listing how President Muhammadu Buhari tackled nationwide killings.

“The presidency refers all the purveyors of falsehood to a State House press release published a few days ago and signed by Special Adviser to the President, Femi Adesina,” Shehu said in a statement.

“We advise Nigerians to read Adesina’s statement if they haven’t yet, or re-read it for better understanding of the efforts to ensure peace in the country.

“It is sad and misleading for anyone to say that President Buhari had not responded to the security challenges in the country. No one can honestly say that President Buhari is doing nothing about security.

“It’s just a fake news item being peddled by selfish politicians with vested interests in keeping Nigerians incensed, and it risks being entrenched as reality if we don’t educate ourselves with the truth.”