Why herdsmen killings will continue – Ijaw youths

The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, has said that herdsmen killings across the country will continue until Nigeria is restructured.

IYC spokesman, Henry Iyalla, in a statement on Monday, decried the upsurge in the killing of innocent citizens by herdsmen.

It condemned the massacre in Benue, Adamawa, Southern Kaduna, Taraba, Ondo and Ekiti state and accused the Buhari government of playing politics with human lives.

“It is disheartening to see that while the lives of women and children are lost daily, the Federal Government is busy playing politics with security”, the statement noted.

“The statement by some Northern governors that those calling for restructuring are living in the past and the insensitive statement of the Vice President appointed to chair investigations into herdsmen attack, calling for unity instead of addressing the issues at hand, make it obvious that the Federal Government is paying lip service to the issues of security.

“The unity of Nigeria cannot be achieved when the lives of cows seem more important to the Federal Government than the lives of Nigerian citizens.

“Otherwise, why will the government be focused on taking lands from others to give to herdsmen who are doing their private business?

“We note with dismay that the so-called herdsmen are heavily funded, leaving one in doubt if the funds raised from selling cows can afford them the purchase of such heavy arms.

“Farmlands of notable Nigerians like Chief Olu Falae, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, have been burnt with no arrest made. Obviously some evil elements are financing these killings and the Federal Government is doing nothing to stop them.

“It must be made clear that ranches cannot be seen as being the same as colonies, as stated by the Minister of Agriculture. We want to make it clear that no Ijaw land will be given to anyone to run his private business.”