Killings: NEF disowns Unongo’s claims over Buhari, Atiku

By Bode Olagoke

Abuja

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has publicly disowned its chairman, Chief Paul Unongo’s reported claim against the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and President Muhammadu Buhari, regarding the recent massive killings in some states.
Unongo had accused Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of sponsoring Fulani herdsmen to carry out the killings in some states.
But reacting to the said controversial claims in a statement signed by the deputy chairman, Northern Elders Forum, Alhaji Sani Zangon Daura, yesterday in Abuja, the forum said Chief Unongo “does not have the right to drag the entire Forum into unnecessary controversies at will.”
The statement, however, called on government to urgently act against such killing by identifying the perpetrators and dealing with them in the same way other disturbances in the North east and other parts of the country are being dealt with.
The statement read in part: “The attention of the Northern Elders Forum has been drawn to yet another report of partisan statement in the Punch Newspaper of January 6, 2018 made by its leader, Chief Paul Unongo against the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and another claim against President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The Forum regrets to have to publicly disown yet another controversy by Unongo in this recent time.
“While Chief Unongo reserves the right to hold and express personal views against any issue, he however does not have the right to drag the entire Forum into unnecessary controversies at will.
“We therefore advise that if Chief Unongo has any grudges against any personality or group, he should vent them in his personal capacity and not use the platform of the Forum.”
The forum’s deputy chairman also said that they were not aware that President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to heed their advice on this matter as there was never any such advice contrary to Unongo’s claim in the report.
“It is on record that since inception six years ago, the Forum has never been this controversial in its approach to issues and never committed itself on anything without finding solid grounds.”

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