Borno Massacre: Northern Elders Call For Buhari’s Resignation

Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to step down, adding that lives under him have become worthless.

In a statement by the Director of Publicity and Advocacy of the Forum, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the forum said the appropriate thing for the president to do is to resign since he can no longer guarantee the safety of Nigerians.

The forum also berated the presidency over its response to Boko Haram’s killing of over 40 rice farmers in Borno State.

Recall that Garba Shehu, the spokesperson for the president, had said the farmers were killed because they did not get military clearance before going to their farms.

Baba-Ahmed, in a statement, described Shehu’s remark as ‘most insensitive’.

The statement reads: “Northern Elders Forum (NEF) joins Nigerians in expressing outrage at the killings of farmers in Borno State and many other people on a daily basis in many parts of the North. Our voices have been raised without pause for a long time against pervasive insecurity in our region.

“These particular killings have been greeted by the most insensitive response by spokespersons of the President. The lame excuse that farmers had not sought permission from the military to harvest produce merely exposed the misleading claims that our military had secured vast territories from the insurgency.

“Under this administration, life has lost its value, and more and more citizens are coming under the influence of criminals.We do not see any evidence of a willingness on the part of President Buhari to honour his oath to provide security over Nigerians.

“In civilized nations, leaders who fail so spectacularly to provide security will do the honourable thing and resign.”