President Muhammadu Buhari has decried the surge in ritual killings and violent attacks in sections of the country targeting on-duty police officers and ethnic minorities.
The President was reacting to incidents that happened in Enugu, Imo, Abia, Zamfara, and Ogun States.
He described ritual killings, hate crimes, and the killing of law enforcement agents as abberations.
President Buhari urged law enforcement agencies, state governments, local governments, community leaders, and religious leaders to take legal action to prevent further occurrences of such incidents and to put measures in place to combat the normalization of what he called primitive acts and acts of terror.
The emphasizes that killings in the name of rituals, political agitation, and ethnicity are contrary to the precepts of religion and civilisation and that no one has the authority to take the law into their own hands.
He emphasizes the need for Nigerians to be their brother’s keeper and views any attack on any citizen as an attack on the fundamental essence that binds them together as a nation.
Abia new cattle market
President Buhari commended the government of Abia State for its response to the recent incident involving traders at the New Cattle Market in Ukwa Local Government Area and urged for calm.
Police confirmed the deaths of eight people following a attack on a market in the Omumauzor community, by gunmen, who were alleged to have stormed the market about 11 p.m. on Tuesday.
He also extended his condolences to families of those slained and those who lost property as a result of the attacks.
Writing by Abdullah Bello: Editing by Abdullahi Lamino and Saadatu Albashir