Nigerian Government is guilty of aiding killer Fulani herdsmen to commit crimes -Tunde Bakare

The Senior Pastor of The Citadel Global Community Church, Tunde Bakare, says the Nigerian government is guilty of aiding the Fulani herdsmen committing crimes across the country.

Bakare said this during an Instagram live programme with the publisher of the Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu.

He condemned the atrocities of the Fulani herdsmen which has spread to every nook and cranny of the nation. He also asserted that Nigerians are in great danger if the problems persist till 2023, saying the next presidential election is still far away.

“The government is a guilty party for aiding the killer Fulani herdsmen in committing crimes of killing, abduction and destruction of farms in the country,” Bakare said.

“I want a country where I can sleep with my two eyes closed. Lawlessness is everywhere, abduction takes place every day. And this happens as a result of deficient leadership. Protecting our territorial integrity should be the most important thing now.”

According to him, the culture of moving cattle from one geographical location to another to graze is outdated, hence the government should help the herders understand this.

Reacting to why he had not mobilised protests against the present government as he did during the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Bakare described such things as generational.

He said, “It’s a generational thing. You cannot condemn a generation for what they have done or not done. During the time of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, they faced bullets and harder things but served their generation. The same things happened during the times of my boss, Chief Gani Fawehinmi and the rest. We also have done our part. So, I think it’s not about being scared, but about what a generation uses at a point in time to correct a bad government.

“When it’s your day, your turn, you must do your part also. A day is coming when this younger generation too will say they have done their part of facing the oppression of the government.”

Bakare, who was the running mate of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2011 under the Congress for Progressive Change, also said that almost all the major regions in Nigeria long to break away from Nigeria because of the poor performance of the Buhari-led administration.

“Now if you listen to the news and see what’s going on, the drums of disintegration are louder than ever before,” Bakare said.

Though he preferred the country to stay together as one, he averred that if breaking away of regions to be sovereign nations would be better for the people, it should happen.

He cited examples of Russia, Latvia, Ukraine and others that broke out of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, as well as Pakistan and Bangladesh coming out of India.

About the emergence of a rights activist in Oyo State, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, the pastor described him as a revolutionary like the Jephtae in the Bible who demanded justice for his people.

“Self-defence is permissible in law. That’s why someone can use provocation as an excuse to kill another fellow. But two wrongs cannot make a right. I told Sunday Igboho immediately he issued that threat that we should find alternative solutions to this issue to avert a bloodbath.

“Let’s not play legal semantics with this issue. When the government failed to bring to book those who are killing innocent people, I don’t blame the guy, Sunday Igboho for standing up. He wants justice for his people, so he can’t be blamed. Although, as I said earlier, two wrongs cannot make a right.”

Finally, when talking about things to do to address the multiple problems of the country, Bakare said, “There are so many things that can be done right. For example, the country needs almost immediately a presidential council reconciliation team to address the integration of this country. We need more than people just sitting in Abuja postulating issues.”