President Bola Tinubu has warned that “those who have taken
undue advantage” of the nationwide protests to threaten other Nigerians will be
dealt with.
The president spoke in an address to the nation on Sunday.
For the past few days, the country has been brought to a
standstill over the #EndBadGovernance protest — a 10-day demonstration against
economic hardship.
In the northern part of the country, the protest has been
marred by violence, looting, and destruction of public and private properties.
In the south, the protest has been largely peaceful.
However, in certain sections of social media, there were
calls for the forced relocation of Igbos from Lagos and other south-west
states. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, described some of the posts as
“reckless and divisive” and asked security agencies to go after those behind
the page.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar reacted to the
development and demanded the federal government “investigate, arrest, and
prosecute individuals promoting ethnic discrimination and violence” in the
country.
Speaking on the situation, Tinubu promised to ensure order
and not “allow a few with a clear political agenda to tear this nation apart”.
The president added that the law would be visited upon
anyone leveraging the situation to perpetrate “ethnic bigotry or such threats”
in any part of the country.
“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,” he said.
“Under the circumstances, I hereby enjoin protesters and the
organisers to suspend any further protest and create room for dialogue, which I
have always acceded to at the slightest opportunity.
“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.
“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.”
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