By Oluwaseun Sonde
Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari has said that from the tragedy in Owo two weeks ago that shook the nation to its core, to the killings and kidnappings just this weekend in Kaduna State, made it clear that there is a design by wicked people to put the country under religious stress.
The President who made this known through his Media aide, Garba Shehu on Wednesday, urged all Nigerians to come together in prayer-whether Christian, Muslim or any of the great faiths, "let us hold the victims and their families in our hearts and minds".
Buhari believed that “our religious freedom, our diversity, is what makes Nigeria great", added that this diversity gives Nigeria its strength. "This is why Nigeria’s enemies seek to destroy it, by putting us against one another. We will not let them.
"The nation will not be distracted or divided by these obviously planned and politically motivated criminal outrages. Let us show them that Nigerians will never be bullied by cowards, extremists or terrorists."
The President stated that the perpetrators of this act are cowards; weak and wicked men with guns murdering, in cold blood, unarmed women and children at their places of worship. Let us show the cowards who seek to divide us along religious lines that we will not be divided.
"Let us show them that Nigerians will continue to cherish what we share while respecting each other’s differences", Nigerian President added.
Having noted the starkness of the contrast between the actions of those hateful cowards and those of true Nigerians in the aftermath of Owo, the President observed that “seeing the crowd of Nigerians voluntarily rushing to donate blood after the attack, thronging the local hospitals, even in the midst of mourning, I was proud of my country. I was filled with hope.
“As for the cowards, they will be punished for their crimes. We will bring them to justice. Rest assured that the full might of Nigeria’s formidable security and intelligence forces are involved in that endeavor", the President reiterated.
Meanwhile, terrorists attacked a church over the weekend, killed three worshippers and abducted no fewer than thirty six people, Special Adviser to Kaduna Governor on media, Reuben Buhari who confirmed the incident, said that was not the first attack.
According to him, ”attacks on rural communities by kidnappers have been going on without respite. Most go unannounced, unreported.”
"On 5th January 2022, it was attacked and some kidnapped. On 27 April, 2020, the community was attacked again and this time some houses were burnt. Then the attack of today, 19 June, 2022", he revealed.
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