Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has said that he has been deeply saddened by the bombings and other acts of violence on Christmas Day leading to the loss of many lives.
He expressed his profound and heartfelt sympathies to the families of those who lost their dear ones, and wished? those that were injured a quick recovery.
Condemning in the strongest terms the callous and wanton destruction of lives in the spate of violence? at Madalla, Gudaka, Damaturu, Maiduguri and Jos, Atiku said there was no cause that could? justify the snuffing out of innocent lives.
In a statement by his media office in Abuja yesterday, Atiku warned that acts of violence as we are witnessing in the country can lead to retaliatory actions in which more and more innocents will suffer.
“It can also lead to the erosion of confidence in organized society and? setting the stage for anarchy.”
But this, according to the former Vice President, “is precisely the time when our support for the authorities needs to be at its strongest.”
He called on all citizens without bias for religion or ethnicity to be good, kind and supportive of one another in this difficult period.
The former Vice-President also called for a greater respect for the sanctity of life and differences in culture and religion.
He reiterated that enlightenment through education; economic empowerment and constructive dialogue were panacea to stemming this cycle of bloodletting.