Coming on the heels of threats to Igbo to vacate Lagos, President Bola Tinubu has warned those fanning the embers of ethnicity to desist forthwith or face the full weight of the law.
His warning came amid threats to Igbo living in Lagos to vacate the state or risk the consequences, which has been condemned by many Nigerians, including presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, among others.
In a national broadcast on Sunday morning, President Tinubu said ethnic bigotry will not be tolerated in Nigeria.
He said: “Nigeria requires all hands on deck and needs us all – regardless of age, party, tribe, religion or other divides, to work together in reshaping our destiny as a nation. To those who have taken undue advantage of this situation to threaten any section of this country, be warned: The law will catch up with you. There is no place for ethnic bigotry or such threats in the Nigeria we seek to build.”
Tinubu charged security agents to protect life and property, insisting: “Our democracy progresses when the constitutional rights of every Nigerian are respected and protected. Our law enforcement agencies should continue to ensure the full protection of lives and properties of innocent citizens in a responsible manner.”
He said Nigeria is a country where all citizens must enjoy peace and freedom.
“My vision for our country is one of a just and prosperous nation where each person may enjoy the peace, freedom, and meaningful livelihood that only democratic good governance can provide – one that is open, transparent and accountable to the Nigerian people,” he said.
The president condemned destructions associated with the national protest and called for its suspension.
He said: “I am especially pained by the loss of lives in Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna and other states, the destruction of public facilities in some states, and the wanton looting of supermarkets and shops, contrary to the promise of protest organisers that the protest would be peaceful across the country. The destruction of properties sets us back as a nation, as scarce resources will be again used to restore them.
“I commiserate with the families and relations of those who have died in the protests. We must stop further bloodshed, violence, and destruction.
“As President of this country, I must ensure public order. In line with my constitutional oath to protect the lives and property of every citizen, our government will not stand idly by and allow a few with a clear political agenda to tear this nation apart.”
