The Presidency on Sunday insisted that some politicians were behind the killings allegedly carried out by herdsmen in parts of the country.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Sunday, said the administration was in possession of evidence to prove that some politicians were using criminals to perpetuate the killings.
Shehu however appealed to all citizens as well as members of the international community to refrain from spreading false stories and inflammatory statements concerning the recent herder-farmer clashes.
The statement read, “The Presidency is appealing to all its citizens as well as members of the international community to refrain from spreading false stories and inflammatory statements concerning the recent herder-farmer clashes.
“The Nigerian government is working closely with state governments and the security services – as well as international partners – in order to resolve this ongoing issue.
“The clashes between herders and farmers are historical. The causes of these confrontations are varied and complex.
“Climate change, specifically the drying up of the Chad Basin, has led to more pressure on the population in the North of Nigeria, which further compounded the problem.
“As President Buhari indicated lately, there is evidence of involvement of some politicians using criminals to perpetuate the killings.
”Climate change is an issue of global significance and the Nigerian Government is determined to continue working closely with its neighbours in order to ensure that a long-term solution can be implemented.”
The statement added that ”the Federal Government makes no distinction amongst the population and works tirelessly to protect all Nigerian people.”
