Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has called on Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic and religious differences, to steer clear of communal conflicts.
El-Rufai made the call while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that the call became necessary in view of the value and sanctity of human life.
“There is nothing new or strange about communal clashes; we have had them in many parts of Nigeria, we have had them in my state (Kaduna).
“In fact, I had to deal with that in 2016 and 2017; we’ve had that in Zamfara; we still have issues in Birnin Gwari area of my state.
“What is sad about the situation in Nigeria is that communal clashes are only interesting if identity issues are involved; if they are Christians versus Muslims or one ethnic group versus another.
“This is very sad; it is very disappointing because every human life is precious; every human life is sacred and we should be as concerned about the life of everyone as any other person.
“We prayed for progress and peace in Nigeria; we have to unite – we must unite in our common humanities to defeat the evil.’’
El-Rufai said that communal clashes had a way of portraying the country’s image abroad in bad light.
According to him, it is through unity of purpose and collaborative efforts that communal conflicts could be avoided.
“We should have citizens of Nigeria, not indigenes or settlers.
“No Nigerian should feel he or she is not at home in any part of the country,’’ he added. (NAN)
