Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Thursday expressed sadness over the bombing of the Abuja and Kaduna offices of ThisDay Newspapers Group and the similar attack on the zonal office of The Sun Newspapers in Kaduna.

Governor Fashola, who condemned both attacks in outright terms, also condoled with the Management of the ThisDay and The Sun newspapers over the bomb attacks, which reportedly claimed several lives while scores sustained varying degrees of injury in both locations.

He described the attack on the two leading national dailies as uncalled-for and unwarranted, saying the use of violence against unprotected civilians outrightly “contradicts the spirit and letters of the UN Declaration of Human Right and AU Charter on Human and People’s Rights”.

The Governor added that the twin bomb blasts were an attempt to cow the media, whose roles, according to him, are critical to upholding democratic principles and the core task of nation-building both in Nigeria and other countries across the world.

According to Governor Fashola, “The development remind us as a country of the urgent need to work out strategies to address the growing cases of bomb attacks and security challenges, not just in the northern parts of our country, but also in other parts as the cases might be.

“The root causes of the continued attacks on human lives, which have led to killings, maiming and wanton destruction of private properties and public installations, need to be objectively investigated and dispassionately addressed in order to create an environment enabling enough to attract investments”.

While condoling with the families and relatives of those who lost their lives in the Abuja and Kaduna attacks, the Governor urged those behind the attacks to prioritise peace and unity of Nigeria above selfish interests.

According to him, “together we can put an end to serial violence, which has brought several homes and families across the country under gloom and sadness”.