President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned in strong term the massacre of travellers along Bauchi-Jos Road by yet-be-identified persons, just as he ordered security agencies to trail and arrest the killers.
A statement issued by Malam Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president media and publicity, regretted the killing of 21 persons and injuring several others on Saturday.
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The victims of the unfortunate attack, Daily Telescope gathered, were passing through Jos after attending a religious event in Bauchi state.
The statement reads “The president has ordered security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of what he called “gruesome massacre of innocent travellers” and bring them to justice in line with his commitment to protect all Nigerians.
“It is widely known that Plateau State has been one of the states affected by herder-farmer clashes, which have, in a significant way, been curtailed following the intense peace-building efforts of the administration of Governor Simon Lalong.
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“However, to be clear, this is not an 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 the faith of their choosing.
“With the evident preparedness of their attackers, it is clear this was a well-conceived and prearranged assault on a known target, location and religious persuasion of the travellers not an opportunist ambush.
“These kinds of attacks on our country’s citizens are unacceptable, heinous, and stand in complete contradiction to the teachings of the great religions of our nation.
“The Presidency stands steadfast with both Christians and Muslims at this time in condemnation of this latest attack and expects and insists that justice is swiftly – but fairly – delivered to the perpetrators.”
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President Buhari commended the ongoing efforts by the Governors of Plateau, Bauchi, and Ondo; the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sa’ad Abubakar III and Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi as well as a number of notable Christian and Muslim leaders for intensifying efforts to calm down the situation.
Buhari also offered condolences to the families of the victims of the unfortunate incident.
