Plateau killings: Why TY Danjuma may be right on allegation of ethnic cleansing – Ohanaeze Ndigbo

The National Executive Council, NEC, of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, yesterday, berated President Muhammadu Buhari for comparing the alleged ethnic cleansing in Plateau State to killings in Zamfara State.


The Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership lampooned Buhari, saying that such comparison was unfortunate.

Ohanaeze’s position was contained in the statement signed by Emeka Attamah, the Media Aide of the President-General of the organization, John Nwodo and made available to newsmen yesterday.

The statement said, “The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo described the comparison by President Muhammadu Buhari of killings in Plateau State to those of Zamfara State as most unfortunate.”

Ohanaeze said that, “It believes that no human life was greater than the other and that two wrongs do not make a right.

“Rather than compare the number of casualties, the Federal Government should rejig its security apparatus, stop further killings and appease the families and communities affected by the senseless killings. “

Ohanaeze Ndigbo expressed the fear that from the trend of events, it appeared as if General T.Y. Danjuma’s outcry that there was a grand design by some people to carry out ethnic cleansing in the country and that government was colluding with them had been justified.

Adding, it said, “The group called on the government to allay the fears of the people, especially with the double standards being exhibited by the Federal Government in the handling of the issues of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and the suspected herdsmen.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo observes that while the Federal Government proscribed IPOB which is a harmless organization, Miyetti Allah which has openly claimed responsibility for most of the attacks for just the killing or rustling of their cattle has been going around freely.

“If government could label IPOB a terrorist organization, there was no reason that Miyetti Allah, the umbrella body of cattle herders should not be proscribed and their leaders prosecuted.

“Ohanaeze is asking: how many suspected Fulani herdsmen have been taken to court for either the killings in the country or for carrying Ak-47 rifles about in the full glare of security operatives, contrary to the provisions of the law.”

It wondered what should be the “punishment for those herdsmen alleged to have killed more than 200 people in a Christian-populated area in Plateau State if five Christians have been condemned to death for allegedly killing a herdsman.”