President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the dastardly attack on Monday night in three communities in Íshíelu Local Government Area (LGA) of Ebonyi.
The affected communities are Egedegede, Obegu and Amuzu communities.
The president, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Saturday, directed law enforcement agencies to fish out the attackers and make them face justice.
He stressed that the perpetrators of the “heinous attack” should not be spared.
He extended his deepest sympathies to families and friends who had lost loved ones, and to every member of the communities in Ebonyi traumatised by these despicable acts of wickedness.
Similarly, the president has also sent a message of sympathy to the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and a member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, Professor Chukwuma Soludo who survived an attack by gunmen in Aguata LGA of Anambra.
Soludo was in a community meeting over his political aspiration when he was attacked by gunmen.
While expressing concern at the influx of illegal weapons, Buhari reassured Nigerians that ongoing efforts which had led to the record recovery of illegal weapons and arrests of a large number of arms suppliers would be intensified.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack on an outstanding Nigerian, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
“Our prayers are with him and the families of the security operatives who lost their lives trying to defend innocent citizens assembled for a peaceful meeting.
“We will continue to empower the police and the armed forces in their brave struggle against terrorism, banditry and kidnapping,” the president said. (NAN)