BENUE KILLINGS: Nigeria is in a state of slumber – Bishop Oyedepo

Following killings of 72 people killed in a fight between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Benue State central Nigeria, Bishop David Oyedepo, President and Senior Pastor of Living Faith Church a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s “inactive” action to arrest armed herdsmen as an indication that the country is in a state of slumber.

Oyedepo, during a vigil tagged “a night with the king” in the early hours of Saturday, condemned the killings of the innocent Nigerians insisting that if by now, the government have not make any arrest, “then the country is sleeping”, he said.

The conflict between the Fulani herdsmen, who are mostly Muslims and the farmers, who are predominantly Christians, dates back to 2013, according to local media reports.

Cattle herders have forcefully evicted farmers from villages by initiating deadly attacks in Nigeria’s middle belt, media reports say.

However, some believe the conflict does not have a religious or ethnic bias.

Meanwhile, Garba Shehu, the President’s spokesman, displayed his ignorance, claiming that the killings had its roots in Nigeria’s booming population.

He said, “These conflicts are more often than not, as a result of major demographic changes in Nigeria. At her independence, the population of the country was estimated at about 63 million.

“Today it’s close to 200 million while the land size has not changed and will not change. Urban sprawl and development have simply reduced land area both for peasant farming and cattle grazing,” he said in a statement.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who is ethnically linked to Fulani herdsmen, has been widely criticized on social media for his perceived silence over the previous attacks.

International human rights group, Amnesty International also sent a tweet: “That herdsmen, ethnic militias and cult groups kill Nigerians with ease should be a wakeup call for the Nigerian government to ensure accountability for every violation of human rights.”

Peter Fayose, one of the governors in the country, tweeted, “I am deeply sad about the killings going on in Benue State. When will these killings by Fulani herdsmen stop? When is President Buhari going to act? Isn’t the silence of the President suggestive? ”

They have expressed concerns over the increasingly frequent ethnic clashes in the state and fear that the situation could escalate like the Boko Haram crisis in the north-east of the country.

Meanwhile, Buhari responded through his Twitter handle that he has sent troops to Benue and neighbouring states to prevent further attacks.