President meets religious groups, vows to deal with perpetrators of uprising

President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration will investigate and bring to book all perpetrators of mayhem across the country, reiterating that no religion or civilised culture tolerates violence, especially the taking of another person’s life.

The president made the promise when he met separately with the Qadiriyya Muslim Movement in Africa and the Izalatul-Bid’a-Wa-Iqamatus-Sunnah at the State House in Abuja.

He said that anyone or group of persons, who unleashed violence on the innocent in the name of a movement, cult or religion, lacked understanding of the ordinances of God.

“You can’t kill to please God; and I know no religion tolerates the taking of another person’s life in the name of a religious movement.

“There is never a justification for killing any member of the society.

“We have been tackling the Boko Haram menace, and we have made significant impact, and we will extend the measures to stop all wanton killings,’’ he said.

According to the president, the security apparatus will be consistently reviewed to check threats to the peaceful co-existence of all Nigerians, and ensure the safety of lives and properties.

President Buhari told the delegation that his political party, the All Progressives Congress, campaigned on three issues, noting that his government had been consistent in ensuring that “it provides adequate security, fights corruption and stimulates the economy for creation of jobs’’.

He said: “Our priority is to also ensure that everyone in the country has something to eat. We are really concerned about the underprivileged.

“Graciously, God has been hearing our prayers. In the past two years, we have had bountiful harvest due to favourable conditions.

“All over the country, we have reports of farmers posting good harvests.’’

On corruption, the president said security agencies would continue to expand their dragnets to ensure that sanity was restored into public offices.

The president reassured that justice would be done to all in the war against corruption.

“As religious leaders, I urge you to reach backwards to your followers to respect the rights of others.

“Those that stole from the public can no longer sleep well in the country today. When they run abroad, they cannot take their landed assets with them. We will, in all cases, have them return what they looted,” he added.

In his remarks, the leader of Qadiriyya Muslim Movement in Africa, Dr Karibullah Nasir Kabara, said the movement would continue to uphold the president in prayers for good health and longer life to pursue the course of building a stronger nation that catered for all citizens.

He said the reports of improved security in the North East and better harvests for farmers across the nation were clear signs of God’s favour on the government, and urged the President to continually look unto God.

The sheikh said the improved security situation in the country made it possible for 10 million members of Qadiriyya, from many parts of Africa, to gather in Kano for some days for the commemorative birthday of the founder of the movement without a single incident.

The leader of the second group of Ulamas, Shiekh Bala Lau, commended the ongoing drive for infrastructure development in the country by the administration.

He urged the president to continue to remember the lower segments of the population who looked up to him to champion their course.