Nigeria’s president-elect Muhammadu Buhari has denounced Boko Haram Takfiri militants’ claim of being a religious group, condemning its attacks on civilians and pledging a hard line against the terrorists.

Buhari made the remarks in a statement issued by the All Progressives Congress (APC) party on Monday.

"The fraud called Boko Haram can be defeated by denying it a recruitment base. No religion allows for the killing of children in school dormitories, in markets and places of worship," said Buhari.

"They have nothing to do with religion. They are terrorists and we are going to deal with them as we deal with terrorists," Buhari added.

The president-elect also accused incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of lacking leadership in combating security threat in Nigeria.

Under Jonathan’s leadership, Boko Haram, which recently changed its name to the "Islamic State's West Africa Province" in line with the ISIL terrorist group, kidnapped more than 270 school girls from their homes in the northeastern state of Borno in April 2014.

Buhari said he is saddened by the militants’ destruction of schools in the northeastern part of the country, adding that the action could deny thousands of youth access o education and a better future.

"The worst thing anybody can do is to deny children access to education," said Buhari, noting, "That will be destructive to their lives and we are not going to allow that to happen."

The president-elect, who is set to take office on May 29, pledged to help areas of the country hit by violence as well as social and economic deprivation with development programs.

The Takfiri militant group says its goal is to overthrow the government of Nigeria, and has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly shooting attacks and bombings in various parts of the country since the beginning of their militancy in 2009.

Over 13,000 people have died ever since and some 1.5 million have been forced from their homes.