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Buhari Blames Gaddafi for Killings Across Nigeria

Published

8 years ago

April 12, 2018

Eric

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday publicly blamed former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi who was killed seven years ago for the ongoing killings across central Nigeria.

The killings have long been linked to herdsmen, and some herders of the Fulani ethnic stock have claimed responsibility for some attacks.

But the president said Mr Gaddafi, a dictator swept away by an uprising in 2011, was to blame for the alarming dimension the attacks have taken in recent years.

Mr Gaddafi was killed in October 2011 following weeks of violent uprising across Libya, ending his 42-year reign. He was 69.

Prior to his death, which was aided by the Western incursion into the country, Mr Gaddafi reportedly armed his supporters to ward off the rebellion against him. Libya subsequently plunged into a civil war that still lingers nearly seven years later.

In London with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby on Wednesday, President Buhari said the arms Mr Gaddafi provided to his supporters had filtered into Nigeria where they are now being used to fuel killings across the north-central.

“The problem is even older than us,” Mr Buhari said of killings. “It has always been there, but now made worse by the influx of armed gunmen from the Sahel region into different parts of the West African sub-region.”

“These gunmen were trained and armed by Muammar Gaddafi of Libya. When he was killed, the gunmen escaped with their arms. We encountered some of them fighting with Boko Haram.

“Herdsmen that we used to know carried only sticks and maybe a cutlass to clear the way, but these ones now carry sophisticated weapons,” Mr Buhari said.

He once again dismissed claims that the attacks might have tribal or religious undertone because they largely occurred at Christian-dominated and minority tribes areas, saying those propagating the assertion are doing so for political gains.

“The problem is not religious, but sociological and economic. But we are working on solutions,” Mr Buhari said.

The president has faced criticism from for his response in combating the crisis headlong.

Former Nigerian leaders Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida have criticised Mr Buhari for not demonstrating the capacity to contain the killings, asking him not to run again in 2019. They had also been joined by Theophilus Danjuma, a former chief of army staff, who admonished citizens to defend themselves rather than wait for security agencies.

Mr Danjuma said the Nigerian security agencies are complicit in the killings, saying many tribes may be wiped out if they wait for federal authorities to protect them.

Both Mr Buhari and the military have separately issued statements condemning Mr Danjuma’s remarks and imploring Nigerians not to arm themselves.

The killings, especially in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States, have resulted in over a thousand deaths this year alone. They have also caused humanitarian emergencies in those states, with each of them running camps for hundreds of thousands of internally-displaced persons.

Mr Buhari has long implied that the attackers are foreigners and not herdsmen, contrary to the accounts of villagers who insist they are being killed by herders.

In the past, Fulani leaders have openly claimed responsibility for killings hundreds of villagers, but said they were provoked by the wanton rustling of their livestock.

Following the killings in Benue in early January, leaders of the group in the state vowed that there would be no peace unless the anti-open grazing law being implemented in the state is immediately abolished.

That position has been repeatedly reechoed by senior government officials, including the

Security analysts expressed concerns that Mr Buhari might not have a good grasp of the crisis, despite how frequent it has manifested in recent months.

“Unfortunately, the president appears to be misinformed,” said security analyst Cheta Nwanze.

Mr Nwanze, head of SBM Intelligence in Lagos, said while it is true that some of the arms in Libya have found their ways into Nigeria following the death of Mr Gaddafi, there is little evidence to support the assertion that they are being used in the north-central killings.

“Most arms from Libya that have been tracked end up with Boko Haram by way of N’Djamena in Chad,” Mr Nwanze said.

He said the arms being used in the north-central have been linked to previously intercepted weapons by the Nigerian government.

On the assertion that the killers are not herdsmen or Fulani, Mr Nwanze said “the president may need to reassess his statement” because leaders of cattle breeders association have repeatedly claimed responsibility for deadly attacks or warned of impending ones in the past.

Another security expert who weighed in on the president’s comments with PREMIUM TIMES Thursday morning was Mike Ejiofor, a former director at the State Security Service (SSS).

“It is really unfortunate that the president would go outside to tell the terrorists are coming from Libya,” he said. “We have no borders with Libya and there are no similar senseless killings in other countries which have borders with Libya.”

Mr Ejiofor expressed a splinter support for the president’s assertion that the killers might not be herdsmen, saying he believes some of them are actually terrorists taking advantage of the fluid security situation to further polarise the country.

Premium Times

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Police Nab Coordinator, Two Monarchs over Killing of Four Persons in Ebonyi

Published

2 days ago

February 3, 2026

Eric

The police in Ebonyi State have confirmed the arrest of Mr. Anya Baron-Ogbonnia, Coordinator of Amasiri Development Centre in Afikpo, in connection with the killing of four persons in Edda Local Government Area (LGA).

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abakaliki.

Ukandu said that the arrest followed a joint operation involving the Army, the Directorate of Security Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

He said that two traditional rulers – Onyaidam Bassey and Godfrey Oko-Obia from Amasiri in Afikpo council area are also in police custody.

The police spokesperson said that 10 people were earlier arrested in connection with the incident.

Reports said there has been a long-standing land dispute between the people of Okporojor in Oso Edda community in Edda and their Amasiri neighbours in Afikpo LGA.

Suspected warlords from Amasiri community, on January 29, 2026, attacked Okporojor Village and beheaded four persons, burnt houses and destroyed other valuable property.

“Yes, on the Thursday attack, the update is that the coordinator of Amasiri, two traditional rulers from Amasiri and other individuals were arrested by a joint operation of the security agencies in the state.

“Those arrested are all in our custody and investigations on the killings are still ongoing.

“The command and other security personnel will not relent until all those involved are brought to justice,” the PPRO said.

NAN

News

Lagos Govt Bans Illegal Chieftaincy Titles

Published

2 days ago

February 3, 2026

Eric

The Lagos State Government has warned individuals and groups against assuming or parading unauthorised chieftaincy titles.

It described the trend as illegal and disruptive to public order.

In a public advisory issued on Monday, the government said its attention had been drawn to “an unhealthy development where some individuals or groups have assumed certain Chieftaincy titles, either on their own or as leaders of ethnic groups, without the approval of the State Government.”

The advisory, signed by the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Bolaji Robert, stated that such titles are not recognised by the State.

The advisory said, “These titles are not recognised in the State and their use has caused tension, confusion, and needless crises. The situation requires urgent action to inject sanity and arrest the growing trend of impunity, in the interest of peace, law and order in the State.”

The government noted that the number of self-acclaimed traditional rulers had continued to rise despite previous regulatory efforts.

“The preponderance of these self-acclaimed Chieftaincy titles has reached an alarming level, rendering efforts at curbing these untoward excesses by the State Government through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development largely ineffective,” it stated.

While acknowledging Lagos as a cosmopolitan state, the government warned against the assumption of royal titles and styles not backed by law.

“While we recognise the right of various groups to appoint leaders to coordinate their affairs in Lagos State, the assumption of Chieftaincy titles and nomenclatures equivalent to that of an ‘Oba’ or appellations such as ‘His Royal Majesty’, ‘His Royal Highness’ or its equivalent is in contravention of the extant Obas and Chiefs Law of Lagos State 2015 and thus illegal,” the advisory read.

The government stressed that only the governor has the authority to approve chieftaincy matters in the State.

“Particularly, the appropriate authority for the approval of Chieftaincy titles in Lagos State is Mr. Governor through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development,” it said, adding that Sections 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20 of the law outline the procedures for such approvals.

News

Court Restrains NLC, TUC from Embarking on Strike, Protest in Abuja

Published

2 days ago

February 2, 2026

Eric

The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has stopped the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and their affiliates from proceeding with a planned protest in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Justice Emmanuel Sibilim issued the interim injunction on Monday, barring the labour unions from embarking on any form of industrial action or protest within the nation’s capital. The court also restrained three individuals — Comrades Benson Upah, General NA Toro and Stephen Knabayi — who were listed as respondents in the suit.

The ruling followed an ex parte application jointly filed by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). The motion, marked NICN/ABJ/30/26, was argued on behalf of the applicants by a legal team led by Mr. James Onoja, SAN.

In its order, the court restrained the 1st to 5th respondents, “their privies or agents, from embarking on strike pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.” It further directed the 5th to 9th defendants, who are security agencies, to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order in the FCT.

The claimants informed the court that the Chairman of the FCT Council had circulated a mobilisation message to union members and affiliates, calling for a mass protest scheduled for February 3. They argued that the planned action amounted to a violation of an existing court order.

According to the FCT Minister, an earlier injunction was granted by the court on January 27, after which the NLC and TUC allegedly issued fresh directives to their affiliates to intensify and sustain the strike, citing an appeal they had filed against the restraining order. He maintained that such actions were intended to provoke chaos and disrupt public order in Abuja.

Following the ruling, the court adjourned the substantive matter to February 10 for hearing.

Details contained in an affidavit filed in support of the application outlined the sequence of events that led to the court action. The claimants averred that:

“On the 19th of January, 2026, the workers in the employment of the 2nd Claimant acting under the aegis of the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC), commenced an industrial action by locking all entrance to offices and the secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, including closure of schools and all departments and agencies of the 2nd Claimant. Thereby, bringing the governmental functions and activities of the Claimants to a standstill.”

The affidavit further stated: “Being law abiding, the claimants herein instituted an action at the National Industrial Court Abuja, in Suit No: NICN/ABJ/17/2026, between the FCT Minister & anor V. Rifkatu Iortyer & anor, wherein the court on the 27th of January, 2026 made an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants therein JUAC, its affiliate unions, and all employees of the 2nd Claimant were restrained from further embarking on any industrial action, and ordered to resume work pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”

The claimants alleged that the injunction was openly disregarded after it was served on the parties.

“Immediately the order of the court was served on parties, the 1st Defendant acting through the 3rd Defendant issued a directive titled: ‘REINFORCEMENT DIRECTIVE TO ALL AFFILIATE UNIONS IN THE FCT’ urging the workers in the employment of the 2nd Claimant to resume industrial action,” the affidavit read.

It added that on January 28, the NLC and TUC issued another directive titled: “‘DEFEND YOUR RIGHTS WITH COURAGE AND DIGNITY: WE ARE WITH YOU’ wherein they directed that workers of the 2nd Claimant should resume industrial action and jettison the order of the National industrial Court made on the 27/1/2026.”

The court filing further stated that the Joint Unions Action Committee (JUAC) subsequently followed the directive, instructing its members to resume the strike through a notice dated January 28, 2026, signed by Comrade Abdullahi Umar Saleh as JUAC secretary.

According to the affidavit, the situation escalated when the FCT Council allegedly issued another mobilisation notice.

“Acting under the directives aforementioned, the 5th Defendant, acting, as the chairperson of the 1st Defendant; FCT Council, issued a directive on the 31/1/2026, to all affiliate unions named therein to mobilize their members who are employees of the 2nd Claimant for a mass protest in the Federal Capital Territory… on the 3rd of February, 2026 by 7.00 am prompt with a view to causing chaos, breakdown of law and order, and prevent the smooth administration of the 2nd Claimant.”

The claimants said they were compelled to return to court out of fear that the planned protest could disrupt vehicular movement and infringe on the rights of residents and visitors to the FCT.

“The Claimants are apprehensive of the breakdown of law and order obstruction of vehicular movement, violation of the rights of the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, particularly those in the private sector and other government establishments, which includes other States of the Federation, expatriates and tourists, hence the resort to court action,” the affidavit concluded.