President Muhammadu Buhari has told governors complaining of herdsmen attacks not to be idle, urging them to protect their states. 

In a broadcast interview with ARISE TV on Thursday, Mr Buhari responded to a question on state policing and told the governors to stop waiting on him to solve every problem for them.

He added that two South-West governors had visited him with complaints about encroachment by herdsmen on farmlands in their states. 

Mr Buhari admitted that he could not deal with the continuing deterioration of insecurity across the country simultaneously. 

“You know these people more than I do, and you are democratically elected to protect your people. Don’t sit idly expecting me to do everything. Take action,” Mr Buhari said, failing to note the country running a centralised security system and his position as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. 

In May, Peoples Gazette reported that killer herdsmen killed over 100 people in Katsina-Ala local government area.

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue has been vocal about the activities of killer herdsmen in his state. In March, the governor reported fleeing following an attack on him by herdsmen. 

The presidency had asked that the state accept RUGA and other grazing-related policies.  

On Sunday, suspected herdsmen attacked Igangan in Oyo, killing about 20 residents in a midnight attack that included arson. 

The attacks came barely a week after the chairman of Amotekun in the state, Ajibola Togun, warned that herders were planning to unleash terror on the six states across the South-West.