Enyichukwu Enemanna
Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari on Monday condemned the killing in Burkina Faso of travellers, including 16 Nigerians, saying those culpable will be “appropriately sanctioned.”
The President therefore directed the Foreign Affairs ministry to engage with the Burkinabe authorities through the Nigerian Embassy in Burkina Faso, to ensure that suspected soldiers involved in the extra-judicial killing of Muslim Pilgrims are prosecuted.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Nigerian Embassy in Burkina Faso, is engaging with the Burkinabe authorities and awaits the outcome of their investigation of the unfortunate incident, and if necessary, to ensure that all culprits are appropriately sanctioned”, President Buhari said on Monday in a statement titled, ‘President Buhari calls killing of Nigerians in Burkina Faso unwelcomed’, which was signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
The President assured that Nigerian Government will make every effort to secure the remains of the deceased and the survivors of the attack.
The Jam’iyyatu Ansariddeen Attijaniyya of Nigeria had on Sunday at a news conference, alleged that 16 of its members were shot dead by the Burkinabe troops on routine patrol.
The pilgrims were said to be on their way to the home country of their leader, Sheikhul-Islam Ibrahim Niasse in Senegal, when they were mauled down by the soldiers.
The leadership of the Islamic group, Sayyidi Yahaya, said that the Ansaruddeen members were “randomly selected and cold-bloodedly shot to death in a most horrendous display of bestiality,” after being stopped by the Burkinabe soldiers.
