President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the rise in ritual killings and deadly attacks against policemen and ethnic minorities with the latest incidents reported in Enugu, Imo, Abia, Zamfara and Ogun states, a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Thursday said.
According to President Buhari, incidents of ritual killings, hate crimes and killing of law enforcement officers are an aberration.
In expressing the sympathy of the nation to families of all victims of such killings, President Buhari urged law enforcement agencies, state governments, local authorities, community and religious leaders to take all lawful actions to prevent further incidents of such nature.
The statement reads, “I condemn these dastardly acts of violence and pray for the souls of the departed.
“The courts of the land must apply the strictest of punishment under our laws to the perpetrators of these horrific crimes.
“Killings in the name of rituals, political agitation and tribal hatred are not in keeping with the tenets of our religions and of the civilised and enlightened cultures we are all claiming to be. No person has the right to take the law in his or her own hands.”
Meanwhile, President Buhari has commended Abia State Government for the actions it took in response to an attack on traders at the New Cattle Market in the Ukwa Local Government Area of the state a few days ago.
He sympathised with the families of persons killed and others who suffered loss of property during the attack.
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