By Henry Umoru
ABUJA – THE Senate has cautioned religious, political, community leaders against hate speeches to avoid hate actions, just as it said that any conflict with religious colouration will be the fastest way to liquidate Nigeria as a country.

The Senate has also described the killing of not fewer than seven persons, with 15 others injured and several houses set ablaze in the bloody clash as Christian and Muslim youths clashed at Kasuwan Magani, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State over forcible conversion and dating of girls of opposite faith as one too many killings in some parts of the country.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja during plenary when Senator Shehu Sani, APC, Kaduna Central raised a point of Order on the killings, destruction of property in Kasuwan Magani, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who presided over plenary, said that If all Nigerians, irrespective of class, religion, status treat themselves as brothers and sisters, those following them will follow us.

Ekweremadu who urged the leaders to try as hard as they can not to have any religious escalation in Nigeria, said, “This is one incident too many killings in all parts of Nigeria. This is becoming very worrisome. What is even more worrying is the religious colouration to the killings, based on what Senator Shehu Sani has said. This is something we need to avoid.

“That is, any conflict that will have religious colouration.That will be the fastest way to liquidate this country. As leaders, we must understand that leadership comes with responsibilities. It is our job to keep preaching to those who are leading through our actions and words that we belong to one God.

“The fact that somebody is a Christian or Muslim does not mean that he hates another person. I have not seen any religion that preaches hate killings. It is the way we behave that promotes that.

“We are talking about hate speeches. The worst of it is hate action. If we treat ourselves as brothers and sisters, those following us will follow us. We must try as hard as we can not to have any religious escalation in Nigeria.”

Earlier in the presentation of his point of Order, Senator Shehu Sani who came under Order 43 of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 as Amended, said, ” I stand to bring the attention of the Senate and the nation to an unfortunate violence we had yesterday in Kasuwan Magani, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The violence took the lives of over six to seven people. Houses were burnt and it was a season of mayhem.

“The mayhem was attributed to youths who decided to take the laws into their hands. But it had the colouration of religious violence. Everyday, we wake up in this country and we are faced with one form of violence or another. We are now accepting the reality that violence is the way of life.

“It is unfortunate that we wake up everyday and we see killings, kidnappings and other things that shake the stability and unity of this country in every respect. I use this opportunity to appeal to all parties who involved in all forms of violence to know that we cannot achieve any progress without peace.

“The unity of Nigeria is not about the flag or the anthem, but the establishment of a system that ensures justice, harmony and love among one another. I want the Senate to identify with us in our time of crisis.

“We must live together as Christians and as Muslims in this country. We need to live as people, despite the fact that we are from different parts of the country.”