Vice President Kashim Shettima urged Nigerians to come together to face the country’s security problems. He spoke at a meeting on regional development held by the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja. He was represented at the meeting by Ibrahim Hadejia, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President.
Shettima said the government took over serious security issues when it came into office and has been working with a planned approach to bring short‑term calm and long‑term peace. He stressed that attacks do not pick victims by faith or tribe. “A bullet or a bomb knows neither ethnicity nor religion. When fired by the enemies of peace, it does not discriminate; it kills farmers and traders alike, tearing apart the fabric of our multi-ethnic and multi-religious society.”
He asked every part of government, every group and every person to take part in rebuilding peace and trust. He warned that violent acts by criminals harm everyone and make communities suspicious of one another. He also called on leaders to stop using words that divide people and instead share messages that heal and include.
Shettima said public services must reach all areas and that the country needs strong public bodies so every region can move forward. To make this real, the government plans regional development commissions for the six zones. These commissions are meant to bring government closer to people, speed up local progress, and share useful ideas across regions.
He noted past projects did not always match the needs of each region and urged the new commissions to design answers that fit their areas. He also said the commissions should work together, because teamwork is needed to deal with the long‑standing problems of development and security.
His remarks were made as debate grows over claims that Christians are being targeted in Nigeria. The issue gained attention after the United States added Nigeria to its watchlist as a “country of particular concern.”
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