Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south | Photo credit: Junaid
Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, has cautioned against religious profiling of victims of Boko Haram attacks in the north-east.
Ndume gave the warning in a statement on Wednesday.
His reaction followed the weekend attacks in Ngoshe village, Gwoza LGA, and Mussa community in Askira-Uba LGA, both in Borno state.
The insurgents reportedly killed five Muslim farmers in Ngoshe on Saturday, with three Christians murdered in Mussa on Sunday.
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According to media reports, dozens of houses were also razed during the attacks.
Ndume, a former chairman of the senate committee on army, expressed dissatisfaction with a report which claimed that all the victims were Christians.
“It is unethical and unconscionable for any media outlet to drive the narrative that Christians are the targets of these attacks by the terror group in Borno, or anywhere in north-eastern Nigeria,” he said.
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“The forces behind these mindless killings are blind to faith and tribe. We should avoid this dangerous profiling which can distract us. It has the tendency of doing us more harm.
“It can even inflame negative passion in our soldiers, dampen the morale of men who toil day and night, determined to ensure that they wipe away this dangerous sect.
“Our people, whose only pursuit is peace and livelihood, continue to fall victim to the cruelty of insurgents. These men and women deserved to live, to farm and to dream, but their lives are being cut short by those who thrive on violence and destruction.”
Ndume commended the military for sustaining the battle against insurgents.
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He, however, asked the federal government to prioritise the welfare of security operatives and provide them with adequate arms and ammunition to overpower the terrorists.
On Monday, President Bola Tinubu said the creation of a decentralised police force to tackle insecurity in Nigeria has become inevitable.
