Sowore’s movement: Buhari’s inaction resulted in Plateau killings

#TakeBackNigeria, a socio-political group amplifying Omoyele Sowore’s candidacy for the 2019 presidential election, says instead of prosecuting perpetrators of Plateau killings, President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is offering “cheap platitudes”.

At the weekend, over 80 people were reportedly killed in Plateau while many houses were destroyed.

In a statement on Tuesday, Rachel Onamusi-Kpiasi, media director of the movement, said the failure to secure lives and property of Nigerians has emboldened criminals.

Onamusi-Kpiasi said there is a need to put in place permanent solutions to the farmer-herdsmen crisis that has continued to ravage the country.

“Like other cases that have occurred before now, no arrests have been made and no prosecutions of those who perpetrated these heinous crimes will likely occur. President Buhari’s statement on the killings indicates that the latest crisis is evidence of how Nigerian lives have been cheapened,” the statement read.

“We urge President Buhari to consider his contribution to the cheapening of Nigerian lives. In over three years of his government, hundreds of Nigerians have lost their lives to this conflict, yet not one conviction of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes has been successfully prosecuted.

“It is this failure to secure lives and property or to prosecute those who brazenly commit murder and cause mayhem that has emboldened the criminals and led to a cheapening of Nigerian lives.

“Instead of acting to secure the peace. Instead of rounding up the perpetrators – no matter who they are, instead of prosecuting the criminals who murdered 100 of our fellow citizens and destroyed people’s livelihood and property, the Buhari government is offering cheap platitudes.

“We call for urgent action on this matter. The first step is to round up all the perpetrators. The second will be to commence legal action against those who masterminded the wanton destruction of lives and property. The third step will be to proffer permanent solutions to the farmers-herdsmen crisis that ravages our nation.”

The media director said the group is watching to see if the Buhari administration would prosecute the perpetrators of the Plateau killings.

“We stand with the families and communities of those who have lost their loved ones in this crisis. Nigeria must progress,” she said.