The Presidency has condemned the attack on travellers from a religious event in Bauchi, passing through Jos, the Plateau State Capital and regrets the reported deaths of at least twenty-two persons with several others injured in that ambush on their travelling party.
In a statement, the Presidency acknowledges that Plateau State has been one of the states affected by herder-farmer clashes, which according to it, have in a significant way, been curtailed following the intense peace-building efforts of the administration of Governor Simon Lalong.
It however expresses sadness that the latest killings are not provoked by agriculturalist-on-pastoralist confrontation, but rather a direct, brazen and wickedly motivated attack on members of a community exercising their rights to travel freely and to follow their chosen faith.
The Presidency says with the evident preparedness of their attackers, it is clear that this was a well-conceived and pre-arranged assault on a known target, location and religious persuasion of the travellers, not an opportunist ambush.
It offers condolences to the families of the victims and continues to liaise closely with the local authorities, security, and governmental agencies.
The statement, by the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, warns that these kinds of attacks on citizens are unacceptable, heinous, and stand in complete contradiction to the teachings of the great religions the attackers profess.
The Presidency states that it stands steadfast with both Christians and Muslims in condemnation of this latest attack and expects and insists that justice is swiftly, delivered to the perpetrators.
It says in line with President Buhari’s commitment to protect Nigerians, he has ordered security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of this gruesome massacre of innocent travellers and bring them to justice,
The statement says as the facts of the sad incident continue to unfold, the Presidency commends the ongoing efforts by the Governors of Plateau, Bauchi, and Ondo; the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, and Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, as well as a number of notable Christian and Muslim leaders as they intensify efforts to calm down the situation.
BELLO WAKILI