Nigerian
President, Olusegun Obasanjo, in the immediate aftermath of the orgies
of bloodletting that was caused by imposition of Islamic Sharia penal
codes in some Northern states, went on a nationwide telecast to appeal
for calm and to call for cessation of all hostilities. Amid a deluge of
criticisms for the lackluster approach of his administration’s handling
of the Sharia issue, the President’s carefully chosen words just
came short of outright denunciation of the controversial Islamic legal
code that triggered this crisis.
He assured citizens that the newly introduced Sharia penal code has been
scrapped and he had ordered the erring states to return to “status
quo ante”. He decried the rapid spread of bloodletting to some Southern
states and appealed to citizens to remain law abiding. He vowed that his
administration will respect “no sacred cows” in its bid to
track down and prosecute instigators of the deadly riots.
If
you or cut off hands, then you will be violating the constitution
of Nigeria. - President Obasanjo