The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, and the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi, have warned agitators for secession to desist from “inflammatory statements” that could plunge the nation into war.
The respected traditional rulers stated this in a joint statement on Sunday when the Oluwo paid a courtesy visit on the Alaafin in his palace.
According to them, a retrospective look at the past would show the folly of igniting ethnoreligious crisis in the country.
“Nigerians must exercise restraints; they must bear in mind Nigeria’s long history of ethno-religious conflicts, as people use this type of deep-seated animosity in their speech precisely because of the culture of impunity which reigns in the country.
“What is more, hate speech is an agent provocateur and precursor to insecurity anywhere in the world. In a multi-cultural country like Nigeria with different diverse ethnic settings, inflammatory statements are very sensitive that if not contained, could lead to war.”
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However, the monarchs called on the government to step up efforts to apprehend and prosecute criminals and bandits that launch ceaseless attacks on hapless Nigerians.
The Alaafin and Oluwo called for more synergy between the traditional institution, the government and security agencies to better secure the populace.