President Muhammadu Buhari has said Fulani herdsmen have the
constitutional right to live, work and raise their families in any part
of the country without restrictions.
Buhari enjoined all Nigerians to ignore the recent call by the Northern
Elders Forum (NEF) to Fulani herders, asking them to leave the southern
part of Nigeria.
“In line with our country’s constitution, the government of Nigeria and
the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will protect citizens
of Nigeria wherever they find themselves, Senior Special Assistant on
Media and Publicity,
Garba Shehu, said. “No one has the right to ask anyone or group to
depart from any part of the country, whether north, south, east or
west,” the President said.
“All citizens of Nigeria are free to move and live within any part of
the country they please, whether or not they are originally from there.
“They have no one’s authority to make such pronouncements.
“The polarising role of the Northern Elders Forum and all those other
groups dabbling into issues of security to score cheap political points
has for long been a sore point in Nigeria’s body polity.
“They should not be allowed to mislead anyone, least of all the Fulani
herders.
“The Buhari administration is fully devoted to finding a lasting
solution to the herder-farmer clashes in different parts of Nigeria- one
that would be acceptable to all the parties involved.”