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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.

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Port Harcourt Bound Aircraft Develops Fault Midair, Redirected to Benin

Published

5 hours ago

February 11, 2026

Eric

Passengers aboard an Arik Air flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt experienced moments of anxiety on Wednesday morning after the aircraft developed an engine issue mid-air, forcing an emergency diversion to Benin City.

The airline confirmed that the Boeing 737-700 aircraft, with registration number 5N-MJF, operating Flight W3 740, was on descent into Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, when the flight crew heard a loud bang from the left engine.

Following established safety procedures, the pilots immediately diverted the flight to the nearest airport as a precaution. The aircraft landed safely at Benin Airport without further complications.

Arik Air said all 80 passengers and crew members onboard disembarked safely, with no injuries recorded. The airline added that arrangements had been made to convey affected passengers to their intended destination in Port Harcourt.

In a statement, the airline’s Public Relations and Communications Manager, Adebanji Ola, apologised for the disruption caused by the incident, emphasising that passenger safety remains the airline’s top priority.

“The safety and wellbeing of passengers is always our priority at Arik Air. We sincerely apologise to the affected Port Harcourt passengers whose journey has been disrupted,” the statement read.

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CP Deploys Tactical Squad As Gunmen Abduct Nine Catholic Church Worshippers in Benue

Published

1 day ago

February 10, 2026

Eric

Gunmen have abducted nine worshippers of Saint John’s Catholic Church, Ojije, Utonkon District of Ado Local Government Area in Benue State.

The victims were reportedly whisked away on Sunday during a vigil in the church premises.

A former councilor representing Ukwuenyo Ward in the Ado Local Government Legislative Council, Emmanuel Udah, reportedly confirmed the incident on Monday.

Udah described the abduction as “a targeted and planned crime against the Church, when innocent worshippers were at the most sacred ground, a place of worship, a place for peace, and refuge, only to be abducted, while praying, vulnerable and unarmed”.

He explained that people of the area were traumatized by the incident, adding that they no longer feel safe.

Udah, therefore, urged the authorities to beef up security and nip the continuous attacks in Benue State in the bud.

He lamented what he described as the growing sense of abandonment by government at all levels, even after many such incidents had been reported across communities in Benue.

“The people of Utonkon are living in fear, families are broken, children are traumatized, farmers, traders, worshippers, are all trapped as no one feels safe anymore in our land.

“This incident is not isolated; it reflects a growing pattern of insecurity that rural communities in Benue State continue to endure in silence and neglect. We are raising our voices because silence will kill us all,” the former councilor stated.

While calling on the government to do all it can to rescue the nine worshippers abducted from Saint John’s Catholic Church, Ojije, Udah urged the Church and international community to rise up in defence of the persecuted.

“Religious bodies, civil society organizations, human-rights groups, and the international community should speak out and stand with us.

“We are not asking for sympathy alone. We are asking for attention, protection, and justice. Let the world know that Utonkon matters,” he added.

Spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, Udeme Edet, confirmed that indeed nine worshippers were abducted.

She noted that the Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, has deployed tactical units working with local vigilantes to track down the abductors and rescue the victims, noting that the police are on the trail of the perpetrators of the attack.

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Tinubu Orders Reopening of Tsamiya Border with Benin

Published

4 days ago

February 7, 2026

Eric

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the reopening of the Tsamiya border between Kebbi State and the Republic of Benin to boost socio-economic activities between the two countries.

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, stated this during a stakeholders’ meeting in Kebbi State.

He said the President had approved for the transit of commercial trucks from Kebbi State into the Benin Republic, “without compromising national security.”

Comptroller Adeniyi explained that the reopening would facilitate the movement of goods and support legitimate trade, adding that measures were being put in place to allow the passage of about 2,000 trucks that had been stranded at the border for several months.

The Comptroller-General commended the contributions of retired Director of the Nigeria Customs Service and former Comptroller-General, Abubakar Musa Garkuwan Yauri, a native of Kebbi State, for his distinguished service.

Also speaking, Governor Nasir Idris said the Kebbi State Government would provide social amenities and critical infrastructure at the Tsamiya border to ensure smooth trade flow between Nigeria and the Benin Republic.

He praised President Tinubu for reopening the Tsamiya–Sagbana border crossing, describing the move as a major boost to economic and commercial activities.

“Kebbi State thanks President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for reopening the Tsamiya border and making it functional. The President keeps his promises and has demonstrated sincerity by authorising this reopening for the economic prosperity of both nations,” Governor Idris said.

He assured that the state government would fulfil its responsibilities to ensure efficient border operations and provide the necessary infrastructure after consultations.

Governor Idris also commended the Comptroller-General for transforming the Nigeria Customs Service, adding that Kebbi State would remain a customs-friendly state and continue to value its serving and retired customs officers.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, said President Tinubu’s economic reforms were beginning to improve the national economy, with benefits expected to reach grassroots communities.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; a representative of the National Security Adviser; heads of security agencies; senior officers of the Benin Republic Customs Service; and the Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris.