Former Vice President has condemned the latest intensification of violence by terrorists in the country, questioning the rationale or purpose of such mindless destruction of lives and property. He said he is even more troubled by the fact that this is happening in the sacred month of Ramadan, a period in which violence is forbidden by Allah.
Reacting to the latest attacks in Sokoto, Kano, Maiduguri, Zaria and Damaturu in a statement by his media office in Abuja, the former Vice President expressed outrage at the intensification of violence and attacks on holy places such as mosques and churches during the month of Ramadan or at any other time for that matter as absolutely indefensible.
These attacks, he said, are contrary to the known teachings of Islam and other established religions, which place high premium on the sanctity of life.
According to him, the latest attacks on Sokoto and the attempted assassination of the Shehu of Borno and Borno State Deputy Governor were completely counter-productive to the interest of peace in the country.
He regretted that at a time the Government relaxed the state of emergency in violence-prone states to reduce the hardships of innocent Nigerians, the attackers should have taken advantage of the situation to go into dialogue rather than subjecting innocent Nigerians to further sufferings.
According to the former Vice President, indiscriminate violence creates more confusion rather than solving any problem, adding that there was no alternative to dialogue.
The former Vice President appealed to all the groups unleashing this violence to consider the sufferings of innocent people who have lost lives, property or their means of livelihood in the wake of these attacks.
He called on well meaning leaders to join hands with the government in the quest to break the impasse and reverse the state of insecurity in the country.