Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that it is the onerous responsibility of the government to bring all killers to justice, stressing that if it feels unable, the government should seek help where possible.
This was as he dismissed the arguments over whether more Christians or Muslims are being killed in Nigeria as entirely nonsensical and a sad development.
He pointedly said that for him, every Nigerian life that is lost is a shame to Nigeria, just as every Nigerian life that is taken by criminals, no matter the reason they give, is a shame for Nigeria, and emphasised that Nigerians must ensure that the country gets what it needs.
Obasanjo, who stated these while speaking at the second edition of the Plateau State Unity Christmas Carol and Praise Festival, noted the technology to identify the whereabouts of criminals anywhere in the country was already made available before he left office in 2007, saying that what was lacking at that time was the capacity to apprehend them.
He noted that with improved technology, it is now easier to “pick out the bad guys.”
The former president specifically lamented the categorisation of victims of attacks along religious, regional, and tribal lines, stressing that irrespective of the labelling, the fact remains that Nigerians were being killed.
Obasanjo further said; “The government should stop the killing of Nigerians, no matter what religion they belong to, no matter what part of the country they come from, no matter what tribe they belong to. We are being killed, and the killing of Nigerians must stop.
“We have a right—yes, a right as Nigerians—to appeal to the international community for help, and we should offer no apology for that.
“That is not acceptable, and nobody should accept that. We will pray, and we will continue to pray. But when we pray, we must also do what we have to do; we must ask government to do what it has to do at all levels,” he insisted.
Obasanjo also said the government should seek help if it is overwhelmed, adding that with improved technology, it is now possible to smoke out criminals wherever they are, saying that the country has the capacity to trace all criminals by the time he left office.
In the words of Obasanjo; “We should ask our leaders to do what they have to do at all levels, in all walks of life, to preserve life. And because we are part of the global community, we should also appeal to the international community.”
While referencing his message of assurance of God’s grace to those who remain steadfast in Christ in the face of the current difficulties in the land, former president Obasanjo commended Governor Caleb Mutfwang for the initiative of bringing people together across lines towards building unity on the plateau.
He said; “In this world we will have trouble, but I have lived in the world and I have overcome, and so, you will overcome”.
Dignitaries that graced the occasion included General Luther Agwai, a former Chief of Defence Staff, former governors of the state, including Senators Joshua Dariye, Jonah Jang, and General Lawrence Onoja.
