Buhari Back from London To Face Escalating Insecurity Amid N100 billion Controversy

By Uche Mbah

President Buhari arrived from London Sunday to face escalating security crisis in the Northern and western part of the country after the Presidency came under fire for allegedly agreeing to pay the bandits N100 million to stop them from continuing attacks on the populace. If the reports are correct, it raises issues of who approved the payment since Vice President Osinbajo could not have signed for the money as the Vice president. Only the President or Acting President could have signed that. Besides, such amount of money ought to pass through the National Assembly for appropriation.

Reports were rife that the Presidency held a closed door meeting with Miyetti Allah Cattle rearers who demanded for N160 billion for settlement, but that the Presidency agreed to pay them N100 billion. The presidency has been under fire negotiating with bandits while killing the Indiginous Peeople Of Biafra and branding them terrorists.

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has been particularly piqued by the allegation.

In a release made available to this magazine, Huriwa insisted that it was wrong to appease “these mass killers” with “the challenging whole of N100 billion from the citizens under the pretense of setting up dairy cattle farms for their independent organizations of herders. For what reason do we have laws and for what purpose do we have organizations of law requirement?” they asked. “This dishonorable bit of awful updates on looking to pay off bandits and psychological militants by this administration must be seen for what it is. It is a conspiracy that must be viewed as a quick impeachable offense. Each one of the individuals who spoke with desperados and fugitives must be captured and indicted for high conspiracy because the laws must not be a respecter of any individual.”

Within the last seven days, bandits-formally known as Fulani Herdsmen, have killed 41 people in Zamfara state alone. On may 5, 2019, Prof Olayinka Adegbehingbe an orthopedic surgeon at the OAUTHC, was kidnapped at Ikire when hoodlums laid siege on the road.

With the backlash from the social media, the Army coincidentally came out with the allegation that foreign bodies are planning to stop the May 29 handing over, with the collaboration of local opposition units-a statement the opposition Peoples Democratic party, PDP, has insisted is a ploy to begin clampdown on opposition leaders. The opposition PDP has alleged that Buhari decided to run away in the face of mounting security issues. The ruling All Progressives Congress, however, used the opportunity of his return to taunt the Opposition PDP on that position.

With the arrival of Buhari, when asked about the security situation, he replied that the Inspector General of Police has lost weight, and hence it shows he is working very hard.