Abaribe speaking on Channels Tv on Monday morning, said the failure of the government to punish criminal herdsmen had empowered them.

The Senate minority leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to publicly declare that he does not support violent herdsmen.

The Senate minority leader said Buhari should be concerned that a particular set of people were being attributed to crimes all over the country.

Abaribe said: “The President needs to come out and say categorically that he does not support the activities of violent herdsmen.

“He needs to say I do not support their actions, Buhari needs to come out for every Nigerian to see his intention to own this problem.

“Why wouldn’t you as chief executive of a country come out and say I’m giving marching orders to security agencies that these cannot continue to happen.

“Where has the President ever said publicly that these criminal herdsmen will never be tolerated.

“I’ve only heard his Spokesman, Adesina say it and not from him.

“What we’ve heard from 2006 is live in peace with your neighbour, try to accommodate your country men and stuffs of that nature.

“This enables those that are committing these crimes that there is no punishment.

“As a president, you should be very worried when you see things happening in the country targeted at a particular set of people. You should ask what is it that makes these people continue to commit these crimes.”

In recent times, herdsmen in different parts of Nigeria have been accused of killings and kidnappings.