25 October 2001
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Na'Abba, has urged Kano State indigenes to exercise restraint when dealing with non-indigenes resident in the state.
Na'Abba said in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday that the indigenes should not forget that the state was receptive in nature.
He lamented the recent destruction of lives and property in Kano, "a city once noted for its reception and hospitality".
The Speaker, who was addressing a cross-section of Yoruba, Igbo, Edo and Igala residents of the state, observed that Kano was being made uninhabitable by hooligans and anarchists.
He expressed regret that the state had experienced sectarian violence repeatedly in the past few years.
The situation, he said, had led to the flight of several non-indigenes, while those still staying back felt insecure.
He noted that Islam, which is the predominant religion in the state, imposed a duty on every Muslim to protect and care for their guests, especially Christians.
While addresing the Hausa community, Na'Abba implored the people to reject any incitement from any quarter capable of causing conflicts among residents of the city.
"Now some of these people are fleeing because they no longer feel safe. I totally condemn these incidents. If there had been riots and violence in days gone by, nobody would come here to do business," he stressed.
He, however, noted that the last crisis was neither religious nor ethnic, saying that there was convincing evidence that people were indiscriminately attacked by hoodlums.
Na'Abba attributed the crisis to ignorance, joblessness and poverty among the people as a result of long years of military dictatorship.
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