President Muhammadu Buhari has charged parents and guardians not to encourage their children and wards to partake in the nationwide looting and destruction of property.
The President, who stated this yesterday said, “Families must turn back children who bring home unaccounted goods, in the same way, wives must ask their husbands to return looted items brought home”.
President Buhari, in the statement, issued through his media spokesman, Garba Shehu, expressed his full support and optimism that it will assist the nation to give justice to peaceful protesters who lost their lives, security men who were murdered, and property owners whose assets were vandalized and looted.
President Buhari, who said he had all along avoided going into a debate about the Lekki Toll Gate incidents until all the facts are established, appealed to the people all over the country to maintain peace and brotherhood as the machinery of the government and the wheel of justice turn against the perpetrators of murder, arson, stealing, rape, assault and malicious damage to public and private property.
President Buhari added that his administration is working hard through many pragmatic ways to reduce the hardship of the millions of unemployed, poor citizens and those whose lives have been thrown into disarray by the harsh economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The President said he and his administration have taken note of the grievances of the people, saying, “We have heard you loud and clear” but however stressed that “the violence must stop”.
President Buhari urged Nigerians “not to turn against one another in hate” and condemned the hate messages and eviction notices to ethnic and religious groups, asking Nigerians “to take pride in the fact that our diverse people have been living with one another in harmony for ages”.
