Land for life: Presidency has pronounced death sentence on Nigerians – Southern, Middle-Belt leaders

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders' Forum have berated the
Presidency over a statement credited to the Special Adviser to
President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina that
Nigerians should choose between their lands and their lives.

The forum described Adesina's comment which he made during an
interview on AIT as scandalous, reckless, insensitive and vexatious.

In a statement signed by Yinka Odumakin (South-West); Bassey Henshaw
(South-South); Chigozie Ogbu (South-East) and Dr. Isuwa Dogo
(Middle-Belt), the forum said the declaration amounts to a death
sentence on those opposed to ranching.

The statement reads, "We take this ludicrous declaration as a death
sentence on all those who oppose the imperialist agenda of the Federal
Government to grab lands from communities in Nigeria and hand over to
herdsmen for their private business.

"Adesina is close to the heart of presidency to know why it has
treated killer herdsmen with kid gloves in the last three years and
the arrogance with which he spoke showed they now assume their foot
soldiers have terrorized us into submission.

"This death threat is coming after the President told the Governor of
Benue State in January to learn how to live with herdsmen, the Defence
Minister claiming that blockage of cattle routes is the reason why
herdsmen are killing and the same Adesina telling us the killings done
under Buhari in three years have not equalled the number of deaths
that occurred under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

"This goes to confirm our earlier charge that the role of the
President of Nigeria and the duty the President owes to the herdsmen
are in conflict and there is greater allegiance to the cowtry above
the country.

"If Mr. Adesina keeps his job in the next 24 hours, all doubt would be
removed over the statement Gen T.Y Danjuma (retd) made that there is a
working relationship between the killers and the security forces.

"There would be no reason to look for the killer herdsmen again.

"Nigerians would have to proceed to the International Criminal Court
with the charge that what we are facing is state-sponsored terrorism."