Elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark recently took a swipe at those he described as former President Goodluck Jonathan’s enemies, accusing them of establishing the Fulani armed bandits to discredit his government....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Chief Clark specifically alleged that some Northern elites started the dreaded group in a bid to ensure that Jonathan did not win the 2015 election and to ensure that power returned to the North. His comment came as a rebuke to the current Minister of Information Alhaji Lai Mohammed who had earlier declared that Nigerian would have become an Islamic state but for Buhari’s victory in 2915.
Now the question is, was Edwin Clark right to say that Jonathan’s enemies created the bandits to discredit him?
In all honesty, no piece of evidence backs up such assertions. And Chief Clark himself did not provide any proofs either. At best it is mere speculations peddled around by some supporters and associates of the former President who are probably still hard done by the way Jonathan lost the 2015 election.
Indeed, there is no denying the fact that the bandits have some strong support from some powerful people. The manner of their operations, the sophistication of their weapons and other resources at their disposal indicates that they are being sponsored and supported by some powerful individuals somewhere. Also, the audacity of their bloody campaigns points to the fact that they have inside support.
Even the Chief of Defence Staff General Lucky Irabor alluded to this after the bandits carried out an audacious attack on the campus of the Nigerian Defence Academy several months back.
To date, no proofs exist that points to the fact that the bandits are a political movement or they were started by Jonathan’s enemies to discredit him. Perhaps if this assertion was true, then the group would have backed down after they achieved their objective or they would have at least tuned down their operation. But on the contrary, they have become deadlier since 2015.
More so, none of the bandits that have been so far arrested has mentioned anything to support the claim made by Clark.
It is also important to point out the fact the bandits have been in existence from way back, long before Jonathan became president. They have been terrorizing parts of the North and destroying lives and properties for years. So they are not new. However, their criminal operations and bloody campaigns became more pronounced in the last few years.
I suppose that Clark has his reasons for saying what he said, but it would have been better if he continues to provide moral support for the government’s effort to crush the bandits. Sadly, the bandit menace is no longer a Northern affair; it has spread to almost all parts of the country. Therefore it behoves all people of good conscience and patriotic Nigerian to quit playing politics and genuine pray for an end to banditry.
What do you think about this report? Please drop your comments in the comment s