Buhari stated this in a statement on Wednesday by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, while referring to the massacre in a church in Owo, Ondo State, and killings and kidnappings in Kaduna State.

The President said it was clear that there’s a design by wicked people to put the country under religious stress

According to him, religious freedom and diversity is what makes Nigeria great.

“It is this diversity that gives Nigeria its strength. That is why Nigeria’s enemies seek to destroy it, by putting us against one another.

“We will not let them. The nation will not be distracted or divided by these obviously planned and politically motivated criminal outrages.”

The President called the perpetrators cowards, weak and wicked men with guns murdering, in cold blood, unarmed women and children at their places of worship.

“Seeing the crowd of Nigerians voluntarily rushing to donate blood after the attack, thronging the local hospitals, even in the midst of mourning, I was proud of my country. I was filled with hope.

“As for the cowards, they will be punished for their crimes. We will bring them to justice.”

Buhari appealed to Nigerians to come together in prayer – whether Christian, Muslim or any of our great faiths.

He charged citizens to continue to cherish “what we share while respecting each other’s differences”.

“Let us show them that Nigerians will never be bullied by cowards, extremists or terrorists”, the statement added.

Buhari, in his goodwill message, noted this year’s Easter comes amid the coronavirus pandemic is an opportunity for all Christians to intensified prayers backed by personal and collective responsibility so that the nation can come out strong at the end.

The President said, “This year’s commemoration of Easter comes amid the grip with which COVID-19 has held the entire world. There is no better opportunity than now for all Christians in particular, and Nigerians in general, to remain faithful and hopeful that with intensified prayers backed by personal and collective responsibility, the nation shall pull through this most difficult trial.

“Unprecedented in living memory, majority of Christians have found themselves marking Easter in a subdued manner, away from the usual congregation in churches. This is unusual and very unfortunate.

“However, I wish to enjoin our Christian compatriots to rekindle their faith in Christ who overcame persecution, sufferings and displayed endurance, steadfastness and above all piety. Jesus Christ represented man’s ability to withstand temporary pains in the hope of everlasting glory.”

Buhari in his message recalls, “As I stated in my national broadcast on Sunday, March 29, 2020, since there is currently no known vaccine against the virus, “the best and most efficient way to avoid getting infected is through regular hygiene and sanitary practices as well as social distancing.”