PDP Writes Buhari …Bemoans Herdsmen’s Attacks, Insecurity

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government of Muhammadu Buhari to go beyond rhetoric in safeguarding the lives and property of Nigerians.
The party said in a statement, yesterday, that this has become imperative in view of the recent headmens attacks in Adamawa and Benue States where about eight persons were feared dead and many injured.
The PDP said that the Federal Government should ‘take urgent action to ensure the immediate stoppage of herdsmen’s mindless acts of violence and ensure the protection of all the rights of the communities.’
The PDP also commended the move by the Ministries of Agriculture and Interior as well as the NSCDC in setting up a committee to come up with modalities to bring these attacks to an end.
The statement reads: “We have heard reports of fresh attacks on villages in Adamawa and Benue States by unidentified herdsmen with growing concern over the lives and safety of Nigerians.
According to the reports, these attacks left a combined casualty figure of eight people with several people injured and property worth millions of Naira destroyed.
“These figures bring the total number of Nigerians killed in such attacks to well over 1,000 in 2016 alone.
While these sorts of attacks have occurred in Nigeria over the years, there has been a visible rise in the frequency and savagery of these attacks in recent times.
We commend the move by the Ministries of Agriculture and Interior as well as the NSCDC, however late, to set up a committee to come up with modalities to bring these attacks to an end.
However, we are concerned that the terms of reference of the committee as reported by various news agencies placed more premium on the protection of “investors and their investment” than on the protection of Nigerians who have been the victims of such attacks.
“We are also worried that the terms of reference do not include any investigation into the proliferation of arms and assault weapons in the North Central region of the country.
“We urge the Federal Government to include this as part of the investigation. We also urge the Federal Government to expand the composition of the committee to include representatives from some of the communities most affected by these attacks as well as representatives of cattle rearers’ associations.
“Finally, we urge the Federal Government to move beyond rhetoric and take urgent action to ensure the immediate cessation of these mindless acts of violence.
“We also urge the Federal Government to ensure the protection of all the rights of the communities affected by these acts of violence,”  the party said.