Owo, Kaduna Church Attacks Politically-Motivated — Buhari’s Aide, Garba Shehu

The Presidency on Wednesday, described the recent attacks in Owo, Ondo State and parts of Kaduna State as “planned and politically motivated criminal outrages.”

This was as it said it would not be distracted by such intrigues.

In a statement signed on Wednesday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the Presidency argued that the attacks are designed to set various regions of the country against one another.

The statement titled ‘Recent spate of church attacks unacceptable’ 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.

“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.”

The Presidency also vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“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,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has decried the alleged extrajudicial killings by men of the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and other security agencies at border communities in Ogun State.

This was sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion moved by the lawmaker representing Egbado North/Imeko Afon Federal Constituency of Ogun State, Jimoh Olaifa, at the plenary on Wednesday, titled, ‘Need to Rescue Asa, Oju Ogun, Ibeku and Agbon Communities of Egbado-North Local Government Area and Kajo, Apata and Agberiodo Communities of Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State.’

Olaifa noted that Nigeria is currently faced with security challenges, which have resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of property, “thus affecting the socio-economic development of communities in the federal constituency.”

The House also adopted a separate motion moved by Ibrahim Isiaka representing Ifo/Ewekoro federal constituency, urging the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to “urgently mobilise resources for condition assessment and commence immediate rehabilitation of the failed sections of the collapsed Itori Bridge, along Sango–Abeokuta Expressway, Ogun State.”