Erring police officers and looters would not go unpunished - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari

*As Lawan, Ugwuanyi, Abiodun, Makinde,  Oba of Benin, I get APC, PDP felicitate with Nigerians

By Anayo Okoli, Gabriel Enolgholase,  Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Omeiza Ajayi, Dirisu Yakubu, Luminous Jannamike & James Ogunnaike

ABUJA — President Muhammadu Buhari promised, on Thursday, to bring to justice erring police officers and those involved in looting and destroying public and private properties in the wake of the #EndSARS protests, urging all citizens to use the occasion of Eid-el-Maulud to reflect on the virtues of the Holy Prophet by showing love and understanding for fellow citizens.

This, he said, they could do by exhibiting patience, honesty, sincerity, kindness and generosity in all their undertakings

This came as Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, the Oba of Benin, N’Oba Ewuare 11, the All Progressives Congress,  APC and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, also facilitated with Nigerians on the occasion of the  Eid-El-Maulud celebration.

President Buhari in his message to Nigerians, especially the Muslim faithful as they mark the birth of Prophet Mohammed, urged all citizens, and the youth in particular, to shun all negative tendencies as manifested in the recent hijacking of peaceful protests to loot and destroy public and private property.

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In a statement y his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, he reiterated his earlier promise to bring police officers responsible for misconduct as well as the looters to justice.

On the COVID-19 pandemic, President Buhari, while noting that the country has so far managed the problem successfully by keeping the numbers as low as possible, however, cautioned that Nigerians must not stretch their luck too far.

He said: “Looking at the trends in the other countries, we must do all we can to avert the second wave of the pandemic. We must make sure that our cases, which have gone down, do not rise again. Our economy is too fragile to bear another round of lockdown.”

Lawan preaches peace, love, tolerance

Senator Lawan,  called on Muslims across the country, to in the spirit of Eid-el- Maulud to embrace peace, love and tolerance.

He noted  that this year’s celebration comes at a time Nigeria is striving to restore law and order in the chastening aftermath of the #EndSARS protest.

In a statement, yesterday, by Special Adviser, Media, Ola Awoniyi , Lawan said: “Our harrowing experience over the past few weeks underscores the need for us as a people of faith to imbibe and demonstrate in our every conduct the virtues of love, peace and tolerance which Prophet Mohammed personifies.

“This trying time requires our prayers and supplications to Allah to intervene to restore peace and love of neighbours to our land. However, it also requires of us introspection as to the roles we are playing as leaders and individual citizens in building the nation that we desire.

“Having made their points in their patriotic demands for better policing and political governance, and having secured the commitment of the government to addressing the issues that they have raised, I urge our youths to in the spirit of this occasion embrace peace and engage government through dialogue, as the corrections they seek can only manifest under a peaceful atmosphere.”