President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday night warned that his administration will not allow any ethnic or religious group to stoke up hatred and violence against other groups.
President Buhari vowed that his government will protect all religious and ethnic groups, whether majority or minority in line with its responsibility under the constitution.
This was contained in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu in Abuja.
The President, who was reacting to reports of breakout of violence in some parts of the country by some ethnic and sectional groups, condemned such violence and gave assurance that his government will act decisively to stop further spread of any such violence.
According to the statement, Buhari, “appealed to religious and traditional leaders as well governors and other elected leaders across the country to join hands with the Federal Government to ensure that communities in their domain are not splintered along ethnic and other primordial lines.”
It would be recalled that ethnic violence broke out in Shasha Community in Akinyele Local Government Area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Thursday when an Hausa man reportedly killed a Yorùbá man who was trying to stop him from beating a pregnant woman.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and his Ondo state counterpart, Rotimi Akeredolu also paid on-the-spot assessment visit to the community where they both appealed to the waring parties to sheath their swords and allow peace to reign.
Meanwhile, the natives of Shasha community have called on Governor Makinde to fish out the Hausa man who killed the Yoruba man and make him face justice. The also urged the governor to relocate the market in order to prevent recurrence of such tragic violence in future.
It would be recalled that Oyo State Government is battling various security challenges as it just met with the traditional council from Ibarapa zone of the state to find a lasting solution to the escalated Fulani herdsmen and farmers crisis that has engulfed Ibarapaland.
Reports also say Governor Makinde will be in Ibarapaland today, Monday 15th of February to inaugurate Peace and Security Committees in the three local government areas of the zone as part of his administration to find a lasting solution to the age long Farmer/herder crisis.