Governors’ utterances incited killings in South- West, other places – Senate president

President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, has blamed violent clashes in some states in the south-West and SouthEast to unguarded utterances by governors from those states. In an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, Lawan said some of the public statements by the governors emboldened miscreants who thought they had political cover to carry out their atrocities.

In recent past the country witnessed escalation of hostilities with attacks on settler communities in Ogun, Imo and Oyo states.

A Fulani community in Ibarapa, Oyo state, was sacked by some Yoruba youths led by Sunday Igboho.

Similar attacks also occured on Fulani settlements in Ogun State before the situation was brought under control.

Last week, over 20 persons were killed in an ethnic clash between Yoruba youths and Hausa traders in Shasa, Oyo State.

The Senate president said the crises manifested leadership failure at different levels.

“The failure is not that of the governors alone but they must take the greater part of the blame. Governors have the responsibility to protect all residents of their states.

“Utterances by some governors especially from those regions helped in encouraging some indigenes of those states who felt they had the backing of their leaders,” he said.

Lawan said those who participated in those attacks must be fished out and made to face the law.

“Its beyond just compensating the victims. Yes, it is important that compensations are paid but those who killed these people must be brought to book and punished.”