BENUE KILLINGS:"DO NOT POUR PETROL INTO THE FIRE-OSINBAJO

As Nigerians eagerly await an end to the carnage in Benue with a tentative statement from the Government on the condemnable killings in Benue And some parts of the Country, Nigeria's
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Sunday warned Nigerians against reading political meaning into the recent killings witnessed in parts of the country, including Benue, Kaduna, Taraba and Rivers States.

Osinbajo made the call at the inter-denominational church service organised to commemorate the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.

He likened politicisation of the killings to a situation where petrol is poured into fire.

He argued that one of the reasons why the Boko Haram menace festered was because of politicisation of the insurgency.

He alleged that those who planned to benefit politically from the crisis had to label members of the then opposition as the perpetrators.

The Vice-President noted that a similar thing was playing out with some people ready to benefit politically from the latest killings.

He added that it was the responsibility of all stakeholders to stop people from playing dangerous politics that will threaten the nation’s stability.

Osinbajo said, “We recognise that as dangerous and deadly, as heartless as these killings are. It is also dangerous to allow politics to play a part and to sometimes, as they say, pour petrol into already burning fire.

“We must not permit the politicisation of this tragedy. One of the reasons why, for years, Boko Haram thrived, was because of the politicisation of the insurgency.

“There were those who were planning to benefit politically from the tragedy and they painted the opposition then as the perpetrator.

“Again, we have seen some today who want to benefit politically. The killing of women and children in Adamawa, Benue, Jos and several other places, stoking the embers of ethnicity and religion.

“By their hate speeches, they want to fix the criminal acts of a few individuals on the whole tribe and a whole people and will want to create religious crisis if we allow.

“Our obligation is to stop them from playing dangerous politics that could threaten our unity and stability, just as we continue to enforce the peace in the troubled area.”

BENUE KILLING HERDSMEN ATTACKS SUICIDE BOMBINGS VICE-PRESIDENT YEMI OSINBAJO