Archbishop of Abuja faults Buhari for treating Ipob harshly but handling herdsmen with kids gloves

CATHOLIC archbishop of Abuja Cardinal John Onaiyekan has decried how the federal government handled the issue of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) lamenting the fact that the group was not treated fairly.

Pointing out that Ipob, which is campaigning for a sovereign state of Biafra in southeast Nigeria was treated unfairly, Cardinal Onaiyekan said the group was not granted the same magnanimity as Fulani cattle herdsmen. In response to Ipob's campaign, the Nigerian Army launched a swift campaign tagged Operation Python Dance, which made its leader Nnamdi Kanu flee and go into hiding.

Ipob was also denounced as a terrorist organisation, despite the fact that its campaigns were peaceful and its members were not armed. Cardinal Onaiyekan faulted President Muhammadu Buhari's government for equally refusing to proscribe armed Fulani herdsmen and denounce them as terrorists.

Speaking during an interactive session with a faith-based group, Catholic Singles Forum (CSF), Cardinal Onaiyekan said: “The federal government was quick to declare Biafra agitators as terrorists but Fulani herdsmen are killing people today and similar action has not been taken against them. If something is not done about the security situation in the country, people will keep losing faith in the government and others might soon pick up arms to defend themselves.”