FG Flays Recurring Violent Attacks on Policemen, Ethnic Minorities in Some States

* Says perpetrators must be brought to book

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned in strong terms, the recurring ritual killings and deadly attacks against on-duty policemen and ethnic minorities, with the latest incidents reported in Enugu, Imo, Abia, Zamfara and Ogun states.

To this end, the president has directed the nation’s security agencies to put necessary machinery in place to stop future occurrence of such incidents in the country.

Buhari, in a statement yesterday by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, said incidents of ritual killings, hate crimes, and killing of law enforcement officers were aberrations.
“I condemn these dastardly acts of violence and pray for the souls of the departed,” said the president, adding that the courts of the land must apply, “the strictest of punishment under our laws to the perpetrators of these horrific crimes.”

While commiserating with the families of all the victims, Buhari urged law enforcement agencies, state governments, local authorities, community and religious leaders to take all lawful actions to prevent further incidents of this nature, and to put in place measures against the normalisation of these primitive acts, hate crimes and acts of terror.

The president said killings in the name of rituals, political agitation and tribal hatred were not in keeping with the tenets of our religions and of the civilised and enlightened cultures we are all claiming to be, adding that, “no person has the right to take the law in his or her own hands.”

He further reemphasised the need for all Nigerians to be their brothers’ keeper and should see an attack, be it verbal or physical on anyone, as an attack on the very essence that keeps us as a nation.

Meanwhile, President Buhari has commended the government of Abia State for the proactive steps it has so far taken on the incident a few days ago against traders at the New Cattle Market, in Ukwa Local Government Area of the state and appealed for calm.
He also sympathised with families of those killed and suffered loss of property following the attacks.