Nigeria’s senate president blames south west governors for killing of northerners

 

Nigeria’s senate president, Senator Ahmad Lawan, says governors of the south west states are responsible for the recent killings and violence against northerners, in Sasa Market, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Lawan also accused the governors of culpability for the violence and attacks against northerners in the South West region.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa Service, the senate president attributed the violence to the latest call for the eviction of Fulani herders out of south western states, adding that utterances by some south west governors were responsible for the killings in Sasa Market in Ibadan, Oyo State and other violence against northerners in the region.

“Leadership failures in the region caused what happened in Oyo State and other things that kept happening in the south western states.

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“Some utterances by some governors also went a long way in inciting the citizens to take up arms against other ethnic groups settling in their states.

“The governors’ utterances emboldened the criminals to unleash violence against the northerners.”

Violence erupted on February 18 in Sasa Market, following an argument between two traders, a south westerner and a northerner.

Following the development, shops and some houses around the market were burnt down while no less than 20 persons were said to have been killed.