Buhari’s revelation explains herdsmen puzzle, says Sagay SAN

Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC)
Chairman Prof Itse Sagay (SAN) yesterday said President Muhammadu
Buhari’s revelation on herdsmen has resolved the puzzle as to why
the attacks are so deadly.

He said it would take only well-trained gunmen to successfully
kill soldiers and policemen without being caught.

To him, a typical herdsman lacks such capacity.

Sagay said the Gadaffi connection shows that the herdsmen issue
was more complication than imagined.

He said: “President Buhari’s revelation explains my puzzle. I’ve
always wondered how these herdsmen who I thought were local,
illiterate people were able to wreak so much havoc, successfully
attacking communities, killing soldiers and policemen and they
themselves are hardly killed.

“It made me very puzzled, so this may explain why. Apparently
they are very well armed and have dexterity in the handling of
arms.

“So, it means we have a much bigger problem on our hands than I
had thought.”

On how the problem could be solved, Sagay urged the Federal
Government to adopt the same methods used in decimating Boko Haram
insurgents at its peak.

“I think we should do what we did when Boko Haram insurgency was
at its height. We should send well trained troops, armed with good
firepower which will be superior to theirs and defeat them. That’s
what we should do,” he said.

Asked if Nigeria might require international help, Sagay said:
“We should make it a matter of emergency and send our well-armed
troops, with a powerful order that they should wipe out those
people.

“If we cannot cope, then we can call for international
assistance. We may not need international assistance yet unless our
capacity is too low to cope with them.”

Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC)
Chairman Prof Itse Sagay (SAN) yesterday said President Muhammadu
Buhari’s revelation on herdsmen has resolved the puzzle as to why
the attacks are so deadly.

He said it would take only well-trained gunmen to successfully
kill soldiers and policemen without being caught.

To him, a typical herdsman lacks such capacity.

Sagay said the Gadaffi connection shows that the herdsmen issue
was more complication than imagined.

He said: “President Buhari’s revelation explains my puzzle. I’ve
always wondered how these herdsmen who I thought were local,
illiterate people were able to wreak so much havoc, successfully
attacking communities, killing soldiers and policemen and they
themselves are hardly killed.

“It made me very puzzled, so this may explain why. Apparently
they are very well armed and have dexterity in the handling of
arms.

“So, it means we have a much bigger problem on our hands than I
had thought.”

On how the problem could be solved, Sagay urged the Federal
Government to adopt the same methods used in decimating Boko Haram
insurgents at its peak.

“I think we should do what we did when Boko Haram insurgency was
at its height. We should send well trained troops, armed with good
firepower which will be superior to theirs and defeat them. That’s
what we should do,” he said.

Asked if Nigeria might require international help, Sagay said:
“We should make it a matter of emergency and send our well-armed
troops, with a powerful order that they should wipe out those
people.

“If we cannot cope, then we can call for international
assistance. We may not need international assistance yet unless our
capacity is too low to cope with them.”