Amid the tension generated by the clamour for secession by different groups in Nigeria, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State has recalled how an Igbo man saved his life during the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970).
Mr. Lalong revealed this when he warned against allowing the situation in the country to degenerate into another violent conflict.
The governor gave the advice during the 57th Independence anniversary church service held at the national headquarters of the Evangelical Church Winning All in Jos, Plateau State.
He recalled how he narrowly escaped death when an Igbo man sacrificed his life to save him during
He said the Igbo man, who was his guardian, was brutally killed after saving his life during the crisis when he was just three years old.
According to him, the gory images and experience of the civil war still remained in his mind.
“The memory of what happened to me when I was three years old is still fresh in my mind; an Igbo man who was my guardian that married my aunty was killed; but before he was killed, he took me and locked me inside a room.
“That memory is still fresh in my mind and anybody who is beating the drums of war has not seen it.”
Lalong asked Nigerians to stop carrying arms against one another. He regreted that some people were beating drums of disintegration of the country.
He said that only genuine dialogue will address the cries of marginalisation and injustice among ethnic nationalities in Nigeria and urged the government to listen to the calls for federalism.
He said, “If true federalism will address the injustice and cry of marginalisation in the country, government should be ready to address it. We should all agree to live together; nobody should give any excuse on why the country should separate.”
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