President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said persistent killings going on in various parts of Nigeria are not spontaneous even as he affirmed that there are clandestine forces with a sinister agenda to instigate war in Nigeria for selfish purposes.

“When they attack places of worship their aim is to turn Nigerians against one another on the basis of religion,” the President said in a series of tweets on his twitter handle @MBuhari.

The President tweeted as thousands of Catholics across Nigeria took to the streets in protests of killings and attacks on villages across Nigeria.

Two Catholic priests, Rev. Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, and 17 worshippers were killed when assailants invaded St. Ignatius Quasi Parish, Ukpor-Mbalom in Ayar-Mbalom community of Gwer East LGA on Tuesday, April 24.

The priests and 13 of their flock members were being buried today and the presidency is being represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as the President revealed in his tweets.

“The Military and Police are fully on ground in Benue, with a Special Intervention Force that will protect Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba and Zamfara States. ‘Operation Whirl Stroke’, which has recently kicked off, will hunt down these killers, and protect all vulnerable communities.

“We must not succumb to the hate that they wish to sow; we must not fall for their evil machinations aimed at dividing us. Now more than ever before we must stand firm against their calculations to stoke religious conflict and plunge our communities into unending bloodletting,” the President said.

“As I’ve said before, these persistent killings are not spontaneous; there are clandestine forces with a sinister agenda to instigate war in Nigeria for selfish purposes. When they attack places of worship their aim is to turn Nigerians against one another on the basis of religion,” he added.