Boko Haram targets religious war – Presidency

The Presidency, said, yesterday, that the spate of bombings in the country by the militant Muslim group, Boko Haram, was to provoke the Christian community and drag them into a religious war.
Meanwhile, Vanguard gathered that President Goodluck Jonathan, at a meeting with Service Chiefs and other members of the National Security Committee, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja,  mandated them (service chiefs) to go after Boko Haram.
He asked them to fish out the sponsors of the Boko Haram group. Vanguard learnt that the President also ordered a thorough overhaul of the operational strategies of the security agencies in dealing with the Boko Haram violence.
On the aim of Boko Haram to cause religious war in the country, the Federal Government noted that it was working hard to stave off inter- religious tension in the country in the wake of the Christmas day bombing of some religious worship centres around the country.
Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs, Dr. Ahmed Gulak, who addressed newsmen in Abuja, said the series of consultations between President Jonathan and religious leaders in the country were meant to reassure them that there was no conflict between the two major religious groups in the country.
He said: “As a way out of the security situation in Nigeria, the President has been doing his best. You are aware that he has been consulting with religious leaders, including the Sultan, who is the spiritual head of the Muslims and the Christian Association of Nigeria.  Some mischief makers are trying to catch in on the situation to create a scenario where people will feel as though there is conflict between Islam and Christianity.
“But this is just terrorist tactics to set up society against one another and luckily enough, Nigerians have already known this tactics and will not buy it.
The Madalla bomb blast unfortunate
“The Madalla bomb blast was unfortunate, it was sad and every concerned citizens really felt bad. This country belongs to all of us. Mr President through the votes of all of us is the president today and anybody who through this dastardly act wants to distract the attention of the President is only fighting the whole nation. And the terrorists in our midst, we pray for God to reveal them.
Dr Gulak also faulted the statement by opposition groups, particularly the Action Congress of Nigeria, saying it appeared the party had got a running mouth disease.
According to him: “The statement by the opposition and especially the ACN in particular is unfortunate. Some of them have the running mouth disease and if people such as Lai Mohammed with their experience and what they have professed to have and what they claimed to be, nationalists keep on making derogatory statement about the government and about the nation then it is unfortunate that this disease of theirs ‘the running mouth’ is incurable and Nigerians should see them as such.