Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has expressed deep sadness over the violence that erupted in Ibadan, Oyo State, within the week, calling on community leaders to work with government to ensure that peace is restored in the area.
Osinbajo spoke to reporters in Lagos after paying a condolence visit to the family of the late governor of the state, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, who died on Thursday at the age of 91.
The vice president said he was disturbed by the mayhem and the tragic loss of life in Oyo State, especially the Shasha Market, where the violence started, and urged Nigerians to see it as a criminal act, not as an ethnic crisis.
“As you know, the Shasha Market has been for decades a melting pot for traders, bringing raw food stuffs from the north to the south west, where they traded, lived in peace with their brothers in the south west for years.
“So, in many ways, Shasha represents unity because it is a place where traders from the north, traders, market people from the South West, have done business for years and lived together.
“So, the question is, what’s wrong, what happened? Which is why I think that one of the most important things that we must continuously bear in mind is that when there is a conflict, or when there is a criminal act perpetrated by one person against the other, we must recognize it for what it is: a criminal act, not an ethnic conflict, a criminal act, and we must ensure that it is punished.
“We must ensure justice, we must ensure that it is punished.”
Citizens’ role
While acknowledging the role of government in ensuring that criminality is punished, Osinbajo tasked Nigerian citizens to identify criminals among them and work with law enforcement agencies to bring them to book.
“It is the place of government to ensure that criminality is punished according to law; that nobody escapes justice so that everybody feels safe within the community.
“But as important also is the role of the citizen. It is the role of the citizen to identify the criminals, to support the law enforcement agencies in identifying the criminals and ensuring justice.
“But the citizens must not take the law into their own hands. If we take the law into our hands, it will result in chaos, breakdown of law and order.
“Once there is chaos and breakdown of law and order, everybody is at risk, whatever your tribe may be. Violence and mayhem doesn’t recognize ethnicity or religion.
“It’s just chaos and confusion and death and I think it is important for us to recognize that.”
The vice president enjoined the Shasha Market leaders “to ensure that they bring about a situation where these people who have live in peace all these years continue to coexist in peace and harmony.”
He commended the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, and the law enforcement agencies for their quick intervention in the crisis.
Paying tribute to the late Jakande, Vice President Osinbajo said that the four years he spent as governor from 1979 to 1983, “showed what is possible to do when you have committed and dedicated leadership.”
According to him, Jakande’s “role was transformative in a way that has become the stuff of legend.”
Osinbajo said that Jakande’s administration was marked by free education, free healthcare, the transformation of infrastructure in Lagos and mass housing.
Ime N
