Benue killings: Northern elders disown Unongo on Buhari, Atiku

macfranc007 January 07, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Wale Akinola

- The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has dissociated itself from a statement credited to its leader, Paul Unongo over Benue killings

- Unongo had accused former vice president Atiku Abubakar of being the financier of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria

- The NEF also called on the government to urgently bring the perpetrators of Benue killings to book

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has disowned what it called a “partisan statement” made by its leader, Paul Unongo against President Muhammadu Buhari and a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Premium Times reports that Unongo had recently accused Abubakar of being the chief financier and most influential member of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, the apex body of Fulani herdsmen in the country.

NAIJ.com gathered that many people have been killed in Benue state, where Unongo is from, by suspected herdsmen.

The NEF leader also accused the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari of treating the herdsmen crisis with kid gloves.

He said Buhari had refused to heed the advice of NEF on the farmers/herders clashes.

NEF in a statement on Saturday, January 6, said it “regrets to have to publicly disown yet another controversy by Unongo in this recent times.”

The statement, which was signed by Unongo’s deputy, Sani Zangon-Daura, said while Unongo “reserves the right to hold and express personal views against any issue, he however does not have the right to drag the entire Forum into unnecessary controversies at will.”

NEF also advised Unongo that if has any grudges against any personality or group, he should vent them in his personal capacity and not use the platform of the forum.

“Again we are not aware that President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to heed our advice on this matter as there was never any such advice contrary to Unongo’s claim in the report.

“It is on record that since inception six years ago, the Forum has never been this controversial in its approach to issues and never committed itself on anything without finding solid grounds.

“But since the transition that followed the death of its founder and pioneer leader, the Danmasanin Kano Alhaji Maitama Sule, it has unnecessarily been dragged from one controversy to another.

“The Northern Elders Forum hereby condemns in totality all forms of unnecessary attacks or reprisals carried out by any ethnic group, in whatever guise in Kaduna, Plateau, Rivers, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Benue and Kogi states and indeed other parts of the north and the country generally,” the statement said.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1 new app

The NEF also called on the government to urgently act against such lawlessness by identifying the perpetrators and dealing with them in the same way other disturbances in the North-east and other parts of the country are being dealt with.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that Dr Paul Unongo who is the chairman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has said that the north is undivided in its choice between President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar.

Atiku versus Buhari: Who will win? - on NAIJ.com TV