“Stop Indicting Fulani Herdsmen, We Know How Kidnapping Started In Nigeria”

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, on Sunday visited Afenifere leader, Rueben Fasoranti, to commiserate with him over the death of his daughter, Funke Olakunrin.

Mrs. Olakunrin was killed by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen on Friday along the Ore expressway while travelling back to Lagos from Akure.

Tinubu, who was in the company of a former National Chairman of the APC, Bisi Akande, said the brutal killing of Olakunrin was sad and unacceptable.

He noted that he was concerned about the security challenges in the nation and asked Nigerians not to trivialize the issue of herdsmen.

Reacting to concerns on whether the killers of Olakunrin were herdsmen or not, Tinubu said:

“Excuse me, I am extremely concerned about security and I don’t want a stigma.

“I can go through history of kidnapping in Nigeria and you are mature enough. We know how and where it all started, there are a lot of copycats.

“How many years ago have we faced insecurity in this country and cases of kidnapping, is Evans who was arrested, and his disclosure, then a herdsman? I don’t want to be political. The question is ‘ where are the cows?’”

The APC national leader, however, admitted that the security challenges in the country must be well addressed, and the herdsmen issues should not be allowed to divide the country. Tinubu said:

“I am a nationalist and the security concerns and challenges right now must be faced squarely throughout Nigeria. The incident that affected one member of our family, Mrs Olakunrin, is saddening and unacceptable but nobody can return her alive, she has answered the call of her creator.

“We must not use this incident to divide ourselves but we must use it as a cure to the security problem by providing additional police and patrol.

“We also need additional security reinforcement along Ore Road and various flash points across the country. I have discussed this with various authorities. The governor is aware and being proactive about this.

“The security challenges are numerous across this country. More police are being recruited and it takes time to train and deploy them in various areas, nobody prepares more than necessary for this.”