President, Muhammadu Buhari has met with the Security Chiefs at the Presidential Villa in Abuja over the recent killings in Southern Kaduna.
Among the issues discussed at the meeting were the prevailing insecurity challenges in southern Kaduna, the Niger Delta and other parts of the country.
The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Dan-Ali who made this known after the meeting with the President said that troops have been moved to Southern Kaduna while negotiations are on-going to end the killings in the area.
Commenting on whether Nigeria will send a stand-by troop to the Gambia should there be violence if Gambia’s President, Yahaya Jammeh refuses to step down, the Defence Minister said that no conclusion has been reached on the issue yet.
He added that the matter of forceful removal of President Yahyah Jammeh is to be handled by the ECOWAS regional body. The clarification follows reports that Nigeria has assembled about 800 troops to effect the removal of President Jammeh, if he insists on remaining in power after January 19, 2017
Clashes between Fulani herdsmen and southern Kaduna residents have left many dead. A curfew imposed by the government in December 2016, was relaxed Wednesday.
The Catholic Church said over 800 people had been killed, but the police chief, Mr. Idris, disputed the figure. He did not however give a different figure.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai said the attackers were herdsmen from neighbouring countries, who had returned to avenge attacks on their relatives and livestock back in 2011.
The governor came under fire after admitting he had sent payments to the attackers to compensate for their losses, as part of efforts by his government to end the bloodshed.
President Buhari had faced fierce criticisms for his deafening silence.
Remarks by his special adviser on public affairs, Femi Adesina, that the president could not “comment on everything”, especially as Gov. El-Rufai had handled the crisis properly, infuriated Nigerians even more.
