TheCable

Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, says his recent comment on armed herders is not to justify criminality.

On Thursday, Mohammed said herders carry AK-47 rifles because they need to protect themselves.

The comment drew criticism from the public with some Nigerians accusing the governor of supporting criminality.

But in a statement on Sunday, Mukhtar Gidado, the governor’s spokesman, said his principal’s comment was taken out of context.

“During the speech, the governor used the occasion to weigh in on the contentious issue of clashes between herdsmen and farmers, particularly against the background of the eviction and other forms of restriction orders issued by some state governments and non-governmental entities,” he said.

“The primary objective of the governor was to avert the dangerous prospect of nationwide backlash as tempers were flaring up and given that the phenomenon of inter-ethnic migration is a national pastime involving all ethnic groups in Nigeria.

“At no time did the governor set out to justify criminality by anyone, no matter the person’s ethnic nationality. Rather, he admonished us, in the interest of national unity, to avoid wholesale branding of any ethnic group as it is inconceivable that anyone group can be made up of only criminals. By extension, the governor made it abundantly clear that it will be inappropriate to label anyone tribe based on the crimes of a few members of the ethnic group.

“Second, to the extent that not every herdsman is a criminal, the Governor’s reference to AK-47 was simply to put in perspective, the predicament and desperation of those law-abiding Fulani herdsmen who, while carrying out their legitimate cow-rearing business, have become serial victims of cattle rustling, banditry, kidnapping and assassination.

“These are the people who, in the absence of any protection from the security agencies, are forced to resort to self-help, to defend both their means of livelihood and their lives. As a constitutionalist, which he has proved over time, all through his political career, Governor Bala Mohammed will be the last person to advocate a subversion of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He did not do so in the past; he will not do so today.”

Gidado said the governor’s statement was intended to caution all stakeholders against escalating the tension.

“Rather than vilify Governor Bala Mohammed, it is incumbent on all those criticising him to admonish those governors whose lack of restraint is responsible for the escalation of this crisis,” he said.

“Governor Bala Mohammed’s antecedents, as a bridge-builder, humanist and nationalist are so well known that he will never, under any circumstances, deliberately fuel any national crisis or subvert the Constitution.”