Abuja - President Olusegun Obasanjo has described recent communal killings as a disgrace to Nigeria and vowed "strong punitive action" by his government against those fomenting unrest. "He said the increasing incidents of communal violence were a disgrace to the nation, unacceptable to the administration and would not be tolerated."
"Government would take strong punitive action against any conduct that would lead to a breakdown of peace and order in any part of the country," the statement added, citing a speech by the president in the north-eastern town of Bauchi on Saturday.
Obasanjo was addressing a large delegation of local leaders from Bauchi State's Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro local governments which have been gripped by long-running communal fighting. Travellers say significant numbers of Christian residents, mainly south-eastern Ibo traders, have been fleeing the two Bauchi districts with large Christian enclaves in the predominantly Muslim state.