Residents of Zabarmari, Borno State have attacked the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, over his comments on the killing of rice farmers in the community.
According to them, the President’s Spokesman should have just kept quiet instead, adding that they have never taken permission from the military before going to their farm.
Mallam Hassan, a former Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association in Zabarmari, said it was rather unfortunate for Shehu to make such comments, according to Daily Trust.
Shehu had stated that the murdered farmers never got clearance from the military to go out farming.
Speaking with BBC Hausa, Garba had said although he was not blaming the victims for the incident, but the truth must be said.
Hassan said, “The dead deserve respect; Malam Shehu should have reserved his comments because of the tense situation.
“We have never collected any clearances from the military or any security operatives. We have been farming in these areas since when I was a child; these places are not far from Maiduguri.
“We have never been exempted from farming. We planted our seedlings during the rainy season and took care of the fields up till this moment without taking any permission from anyone.”
