Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo has warned Nigerians against politicising the recent killings in Benue, Kaduna, Rivers and Taraba states.
Osinbajo made the call on Sunday at the inter-denominational church service organised to commemorate the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.
He explained that Boko Haram insurgency gained momentum because some people who gained from it inserted politics in it.
Prof. Osinbajo likened politicisation of the killings to a situation where petrol is poured into fire.
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”, he added.
“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.”
