Abuja – The National Conference on Tuesday expressed grief over Monday’s explosion in Kano and the continued insurgency in the North-East Geo-political Zone of Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this followed an observation raised by a delegate representing the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Sani Zoro, on the blast.

The Deputy Chairman of the conference, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, described the insecurity in the country as a very disturbing phenomenon.

Akinyemi, however, cautioned delegates against politicising security issues.

“Distinguished delegates, the bombing in Kano, of course, is a very disturbing phenomenon. It is happening too many times, but let us be careful that we do not politicise a tragedy.

We have always carried ourselves along; we have never had a division in this conference on matters of this nature,” he said.

Akinyemi noted that the President Goodluck Jonathan had set up committees in the past two years on security issues.

He noted that he (Akinyemi) was the Chairman of the sub-committee on Victims Support, which led a delegation three times to Kano when bombings took place.

The deputy chairman also recounted his experience in the hands of Boko Haram members when he went to Borno as a member of a committee.

“We went to Maiduguri twice. I led the delegation to Maiduguri, and once, the Minister for Special Duties led the whole team to Maiduguri.

“Again, we visited all kinds of places in the North-East including the Palace of Bama where actually we were attacked by the Boko Haram members.

“It took 30 minutes of heavy firing by the military that accompanied us to extricate us.’’

“Two weeks ago, the Brigadier Sabo-led committee went again to Maiduguri and went to Chibok.

“You may feel it is not enough but I don’t think it is right to say there is an indifference to what is happening.

“It is bad enough that it is happening; our feelings, our prayers and our emotions should go out to the families, the children, the people, everybody involved in this thing.

“We should feel so aggrieved and so depressed about this,” Akinyemi said.

He, therefore, sought the permission of the Conference Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi (rtd), to authorise that a letter be written, expressing the feelings of grief of the members of the conference.

“When one child is killed, we as parents feel the same grief because it can be anybody’s child.

“We will write and we will express our grief and convey our condolences for the dead and we will convey our grief for those who are injured,” he said.

NAN reports that the conference consequently observed a minute silence in honour of the latest victims of insurgency. (NAN)