Jos, Borno Violence: Democracy is under Threat,

Says Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on Nigerians to shun violence in any form as a means

of redressing perceived grievances. Reacting to the current spate of violence, political assassinations and

ethnic/religious conflicts in some parts of the country, the former Vice President said no nation can achieve

development and stability under the atmosphere of intolerance and frequent resort to violence to settle scores.

According to him, Nigerians should avoid tendencies that could undermine the foundation of the country’s hard

won unity, adding that no sensible person should take stability for granted. He argued that economic

development, political stability and social order cannot be achieved when violence becomes an easy

tool for resolving misunderstandings.  On religious intolerance, he maintained that neither Islam nor

Christianity preaches violence because both faiths place high premium on the sanctity of life.

The former Vice President said it is not enough to preach peace when members of the two great religions

are reluctant to practise its precepts on the value of life. “I have said it before and I need to say it again that

since as human beings we are incapable of creating life, nobody under any circumstance should take

human life,” Atiku said.  He, however, appealed to religious and political leaders to demonstrate high sense

of patriotism and responsibility by avoiding the tendency of inciting their followers against one another

for selfish reasons.

On the worsening state of insecurity in the country, Atiku called on security agencies to be more vigilant

and proactive through better intelligence.  Calling on Nigerians to help the security agencies with relevant i

nformation, the former Vice President said that as long as previous killings and assassinations remain

unresolved, the perpetrators of these wicked acts will be emboldened to unleash more mayhem on

innocent people.