Igbo Community members in Pandogari in Rafi Local Government area of Niger State said they have put behind them the last Sunday clash with a pledge not to relocate from the town as rumoured.
The leader of the Igbo community in the town, Chief Chukwudimanyi Chuzzy made this pledge to Niger State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello when he visited the town on Friday.
“What happened was unfortunate and uncalled for. We have been living peacefully with ourselves for years. Despite the incident, peace has now come and we have put the incident behind us. Mr. Governor, I want to assure you that we are at home here, nobody (Igbo) is leaving Pandogari.
“For me, I am a little above 40 years and I have spent over 35 years here, where do you want me to go. I am going no where. I and my people are going nowhere because of the peace in Pandogari and in Niger State,” the Igbo Leader assured the governor.
Chuzzy commended the prompt intervention of state government to nip the “unfortunate incident” stressing that this action has further reassured them and other dwellers of the town of their safety.
To this end the community leader told the governor that no member of his community intend to relocate from the town.
Flanked by the leader of the Yoruba community, Chief Peter Oyediji and the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the town, Rev. Daniel Adedoye, the community leaders regretted the clash that left four dead and several others injured.
“We have been living peacefully with one another for decades. We believe the last unfortunate incident was carried out by outsiders. It was the work of the devil,” the three leaders maintained.
They however lamented that the perpetrators of the attack were misguided youth who operated under the influence of drugs.
The leaders called on state government to beef up security and help rid off the town of bad elements.
Governor Sani Bello reassured the people of government’s resolve to ensure safety of lives and property of the people in the state.
He stressed the need for tolerance and peaceful co-existence between the irrespective of socio-economic or tribal differences.
“I am happy you described the incident as unfortunate. You have been living together for years, you should learn to appreciate individual difference including their beliefs,” the governor advised.
The governor then challenged the people to expose drug dealers in their midst to enable government deal with such “agents of destruction”.
“Now that you linked the incident to drug addicts, the onus is on you to fish out these drug dealers. You know them, they live in your midst. Report them to us and we deal with them. We shall not only close their chemist but also prosecute them.
The governor was accompanied by the 31 Field Artillery Brigade Commander, State Commissioner of Police, Director of State Security, State Commander of the Civil Defence, members of the state executive council, Rafi Local government council Chairman and the director general of Niger State Emergency Management Agency.
