16 Nigerian pilgrims killed in Burkina Faso
The Nigerian Muslim pilgrims, members of the Islamic Tijaniyat sect, have been attacked by Burkinabé soldiers, while on their way to their leader’s home country in Kaolak, Senegal, in a bus conveying them, with sixteen of them reported to have been killed
Penpushing reports that this sad incident was made known by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), the Jam’iyyatu Ansariddeen Attijaniyya of Nigeria at a press conference held in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), said the national secretary of the Islamic group, Sayyidi Yahaya, said 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
‘The national secretary of the Islamic group, Sayyidi Yahaya, said 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’, the statement said.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), leader, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, reacting to the worrisome news, described the event as unjustifiable, callous and criminal, just as she urged the Burkinabe authorities to fish out the perpetrators and prosecute them accordingly.
Penpushing further report that Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu expressed his condolences and prayed for the safety of other Nigerians stranded in the foreign country
The President said the Nigerian Government will make every effort to secure the mortal remains of the deceased and the survivors of the attack, adding that Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also engaging Burkinabe authorities in ensuring justice
“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. The Nigerian Government will make every effort to secure the mortal remains of the deceased and the survivors of the attack,” Shehu said.
Penpushing also reports that official sources said Burkina Faso’s Foreign Affairs Minister Olivia Rouamba as at the time of filing this report had met with Nigeria’s Ambassador to the country on Monday to discuss the killings.
The Minister was quoted saying after the meeting that for the time being there is no concrete information or element picked up on the field that proves the veracity of these facts, adding that authorities had strongly discouraged travel through the north due to huge risks of attacks.
Penpushing reports that the country had also witnessed two military coups in 2022, while record also has it that Burkina Faso has been rocked since 2015 by attacks by groups linked to Al -Qaeda and the Islamic State, and their clashes with the armed forces have left thousands dead and about two million people displaced.
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