Lawmaker blames unguarded speeches for worsened crisis in Adamawa
A House of Representatives member and former Speaker of the Adamawa House of Assembly, Hon. Kwamoti Laori, on Wednesday blamed the deepened face-off between farmers and herdsmen in the state on unguarded statements by some opinion leaders in some Northern states of the country.
Lauri, representing Demsa/Numan /Lamurde Federal Constituency of Adamawa, addressed newsmen in company of some persons from the state in Lagos.
Attacks by opposing sides in some parts of Adamawa has led to dozens of deaths in the last two weeks.
On Monday, fresh fighting erupted in a predominantly Bachama community, in what locals said was a reprisal by their Fulani neighbours whose relatives had earlier been killed.
Lauri said the only solution to the crisis remained justice, while dismissing some insinuations that the crisis was religious.
“The heinous killings in Adamawa are not caused by religious differences. The situation would not have gotten to this extent, if not for statements from some respected opinion leaders that had been found to incite.
“I lost two uncles in the crisis. The carnage of many villages being totally wiped out is not only inhuman, but unfathomable.
“There is an urgent need for serious and meaningful security intervention for victims; this is to avoid a spill over to the entire North Eastern states” he said.
According to him, survivors should be protected and provided with necessary amenities to cushion the effect of the crisis.
He, however, said that security apparatus in the areas ought to have done more to nip the crisis in the bud, rather that moving in after the devastation.
“It is not rocket science to monitor events in the crisis areas. The security can send drones to get pictures of happenings in the area with a view to capturing any group planning attacks.
“The maiming, killings and destruction of property cannot continue. We urge well meaning Nigerians to also step in to see that those responsible for the carnage are brought to book” he said.
Laori said that the UN Amnesty International, Green Peace and ECOWAS, among others, need to send observers to see the disaster in the area with a view to providing some succour.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo was in Numan, Adamawa State on Tuesday, to condole with the people of over the recent spate of violence which led to several deaths.
“We can all remember that some years ago, hundreds of trucks take goods to Maiduguri then to Cameroon and Chad, thereby creating job opportunities to thousands of people along these routes.
