The attack on churches around the nation has been denounced by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari stated that attacks on churches in the past 14 days revealed there is a plot by evil elements to put Nigeria under religious stress in a statement headed “Recent Spate of Church Attacks Unacceptable” that was released by his spokesperson Garba Shehu.
The President promised that the attackers will face justice while urging Nigerians to join together in prayer and keep the victims and their families on their minds and in their hearts.He added that though “cowards, extremists or terrorists” seek to divide Nigerians along religious lines, they will not be “divided or bullied”.
It read;
“From the tragedy in Owo two weeks ago that shook our nation to its core, to the killings and kidnappings just this weekend in Kaduna State, it is clear that there is a design by wicked people to put the country under religious stress.
“President Muhammadu Buhari believes that ‘our religious freedom, our diversity, is what makes Nigeria great. It is this diversity that gives Nigeria its strength. That is why Nigeria’s enemies seek to destroy it, by putting us against one another.
“We’ll not let them. The nation will not be distracted or divided by these obviously planned and politically motivated criminal outrages.
“The perpetrators are cowards; weak and wicked men with guns murdering, in cold blood, unarmed women and children at their places of worship.
“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’ll be punished for their crimes. We’ll bring them to justice. Rest assured that the full might of Nigeria’s formidable security and intelligence forces are involved in that endeavor.
“For now, I urge all Nigerians to come together in prayer-whether Christian, Muslim or any of our great faiths-let us hold the victims and their families in our hearts and minds.
“Let’s show the cowards who seek to divide us along religious lines that we’ll not be divided. Let us show them that Nigerians will continue to cherish what we share while respecting each other’s differences. Let’s show them that Nigerians will never be bullied by cowards, extremists or terrorists.”