Yahya Abubakar, the Etsu Nupe and chairman of the Niger Council of Traditional Rulers, has warned his subjects against reprisals, urging them to embrace peace, tolerance, and mutual understanding.

The Etsu Nupe gave the warning while addressing district heads, community leaders, and village heads during a stakeholders’ engagement convened to deliberate on the recent incidents of killings and retaliatory attacks in parts of the emirate in his Wadata palace in Bida on Monday.

Mr Abubakar emphasised that violence only deepens divisions and destroys the long-standing peaceful coexistence among communities.

He stressed that no grievance justified taking the law into one’s hands, calling on all citizens to channel disputes through lawful and recognised authorities.

The Etsu Nupe frowned at the emerging trend of hatred, suspicion, and acrimony among some communities, describing it as a dangerous development capable of destabilising peace and unity in the area.

He specifically charged parents and guardians to take greater responsibility in the moral and social upbringing of their children, stating that proper home training remained the foundation for a peaceful and orderly society.

The royal father further enjoined the people to respect constituted authorities and cooperate with the security agencies by providing timely and useful information that could help to prevent criminal activities.

In his submission, the district head of Lagun, Usman Shafii, called for collective vigilance against the indiscriminate accommodation of strangers without proper identification, stressing the need for stricter community-based security measures.

Similarly, the village head of Gbodoti, Mohammed Mohammed, decried the rising level of moral decadence in society, urging community members to return to traditional values of discipline, respect, and communal responsibility.

The meeting ended with traditional and community leaders’ renewed commitment to work together to foster peace, enhance security, and promote harmony among the people of the area.

(NAN)