The Nigerian government is falling short on its constitutional duty to ensure full security by permitting herdsmen to compromise the safety of citizens, asserted Terhemen Aorebee, convener of Benue Valley, during the News Central TV Benue Town Hall Meeting on Thursday.
Aorebee challenged the popular notion that everyone, including non-citizens, possesses an unqualified right to free movement within Nigeria.
He clarified that while non-citizens are entitled to protection and the right to life, “it is not every right that you are entitled to.”
“No Such Thing as Farmer-Herder Clashes”
Aorebee strongly refuted the widespread characterisation of the violence as “farmer-herder clashes.” He highlighted a statement from the Chief of Defence Staff, emphasising that such a term is inaccurate.
“The Chief of Defence Staff said that it’s only when two things are moving that they can crash,” Aorebee explained. “Land does not move, cattle move, and farmers are not moving; they are on their farms. It is the herdsmen who are coming to attack them.”
He called for an immediate end to the narrative of “farmer-herder clashes,” stating that it’s “official from the security agencies that there are no farmer-herder clashes.”
Aorebee concluded by reiterating the government’s fundamental obligation to protect its citizens from these attacks.