The Nigerian government has assured foreigners in the country of the safety of their lives and properties.
The country’s Vice President Goodluck Jonathan gave the assurance in a nationwide broadcast in Abuja late Thursday on the crisis in Jos, Plateau State.
He said the Nigerian Constitution, which he swore to uphold, ensured the safety and well being of all Nigerians and foreigners, wherever they found themselves in the country.
“In this regard, I want to assure all citizens and foreigners alike, that the Federal Government will continue to guarantee the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the constitution of our country, ” Mr. Jonathan said.
The vice president reassured that the Nigerian government had the capacity to protect, defend and preserve the lives and property of all citizens, irrespective of ethnic affiliation or creed.
He expressed sympathy with victims and the families of those who lost their loved ones during the crisis.
“My heart goes out to all those who have lost loved ones as well as their property in this unwarranted carnage,” he added.
According to Mr. Jonathan, the crisis is a coloration of sheer wickedness and man’s inhumanity to man.
He stressed that there was no justification for the crisis.
The crisis erupted on Sunday when some youths attacked worshippers at St. Michael’s Anglican Church in Nasawara Gwom.
It ultimately turned into a fight between Muslim and Christian gangs.
The new clashes between Muslim and Christian gangs have claimed more than 100 lives in the central city which experienced the same riots in November 2008.
The riots in 2008 killed hundreds of residents in the city.
Keywords: Nigeria, foreigners, safety, assurance, nationwide broadcast, Muslim, Christian gangs,
