Nigeria’s Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said the Federal Government is prepared and ready to deal with persons or groups who promote hate speeches which threaten the unity and corporate existence of the country.

He stated this on Tuesday evening while meeting with a cross section of leaders of thought from the northern part of the country at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

The meeting is coming days after a coalition of some youth groups in the north gave residents of Igbo extraction three months to leave the region.

“And I want to say that hate and divisive speech or divisive behaviour ,where it is illegal, will be met with the full force of the law,” Prof. Osinbajo said.

“I want to ensure that there is no doubt at all that it is the resolve of the government that no one will be allowed to get away with making speeches that can cause sedition or that can cause violence especially because when we make these kinds of pronouncements and do things that can cause violence or destruction of lives and property, we are no longer in control,” he added.

He emphasized that the government is taking any attempts to cause violence or disrupt the peace of this country very seriously because, according to him, violence cannot be controlled easily once it starts.

He further called on the northern leaders to take his message down to their people, adding that this was not a time to retreat behind ethnic lines but time to come out as a united people and work together.

Among those present at the meeting were Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonishakin, Minister of Defence, retired Brig.-Gen.Mansur Muhammed Dan-Ali, Minister of Interior, retired Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau, Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari, Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum and former Inspection General of Police, Ibrahim Coomasie amongst others.

The Acting President is scheduled to meet leaders from the South-East geo-political zone of the country tomorrow.