President Buhari is aggrieved by the accusations of some Nigerians who have blamed him for the killings that took place in Plateau state.
Buhari said that he felt it was unfair that he was being blamed for not talking to them because he looks like them.
The President made this assertion on Tuesday during an interactive session with stakeholders in Plateau state.
Buhari had gone to visit the state in the wake of the murders and was accompanied by Simon Lalong, governor of the state, Abubakar Bagudu and Abubakar Bello, governors of Kebbi and Niger states
After the attack on Plateau, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) had taken responsibility for the murders saying that they had lost 300 cows, and therefore the killings were retaliatory in nature.
In a statement by Garba Shehu, Buhari stated the steps he was taking to curb the problem and he also stated that he feels this is the work of politicians in an attempt to derail his 2019 election campaign.
He said, ‘‘I will continue to pressurise members of the law enforcement agencies directly under me by the Constitution as the Commander-in Chief. About eight days ago, we had five hours security meeting of the service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police,” Buhari said.
‘‘What happened here in Jos is very bad. The question of leadership, from your household to whatever you are, is justice. The bottom line is justice.
‘‘That is why wherever I go, I will always appeal to the leadership of the communities, the law enforcement agencies to always have control of their constituencies.
‘‘Whatever is being given to the media, we have to be very responsible about it.
‘‘Take for instance the situation in Benue. The Benue subsistence farmer knows that the Nigerian cattle herder that he knows doesn’t carry nothing more than a stick, occasionally sometimes something to cut grass to feed his cattle.
‘‘But the present herder, I am told, carries AK47 and people are even blaming me for not talking to them because maybe (they say) I look like one of them.
‘‘There is some injustice in these aspersions.”