President Muhammadu Buhari has said Nigerians will never be bullied by “cowards and terrorists” over the recent attacks in the country.

This is just as the President said the attacks on Catholic churches in Ondo and Kaduna states was a plot by “wicket people” to put the country under religious stress.

Buhari, who said the citizens’ religious freedom and diversity make Nigeria great, stated that “Nigeria’s enemies” seek to destroy the country by putting the citizens against one another.

The President made this known in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Wednesday.

The Star recalls that no fewer than three worshippers were killed last Sunday when gunmen suspected to be bandits attacked St. Moses Catholic Church in Robuh, Unguwan Aku, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State during service.

Many other worshippers were also abducted in the attack.

The attack came barely two weeks after terrorists attacked St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State and killed 40 worshippers, while many others were injured.

However, Shehu, in statement titled, ‘Recent spate of church attacks unacceptable’, quoted Buhari as saying that the assailants “will be punished for their crimes”.

The statement 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.

READ ALSO: Again, gunmen attack Catholic church, kill worshippers

“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 will 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 will be punished for their crimes. We will bring them to justice. Rest assured that the full might of Nigeria’s formidable security and intelligence forces are involved in that endeavour.

“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 us show the cowards who seek to divide us along religious lines that we will not be divided. Let us show them that Nigerians will continue to cherish what we share while respecting each other’s differences. Let us show them that Nigerians will never be bullied by cowards, extremists or terrorists,” the presidential spokesman quoted Buhari as saying.

The Star