President Muhammadu Buhari says he prays for the souls of Nigerians violently murdered under his watch while condemning 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.

“I condemn these dastardly acts of violence and pray for the souls of the departed,” said the Nigerian president in a statement by his media aide, Garba Shehu, on Thursday.

While expressing the nation’s sympathy to the victims’ families, Mr 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.

He also charged the security agencies to put measures against the normalisation of these primitive acts, hate crimes and acts of terror.

The president added that the courts of the land must apply “the strictest of punishment under our laws to the perpetrators of these horrific crimes.”

Mr Buhari added, “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.”

The president further stressed the need for all Nigerians to be their brother’s 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, Mr Buhari has commended the Abia government for the actions taken regarding the attack on New Cattle Market in Ukwa local government area and appealed for calm.

He also expressed his sympathies to the families of those killed and suffered property loss following the attacks.

(NAN)