By BASHIR ADEFAKA
“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.”
The Presidency has condemned the attack earlier on Saturday 14 August, 2021 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.
The condemnation was handed down in a a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the president in Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, and copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER.
“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.
“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.
“The Presidency offers condolences to the families of the victims and continues to liaise closely with the local authorities – including security, the police, and governmental agencies.
“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,” Shehu said.
He quoted the President as warning:
“Make no mistake about it: in line with my commitment to protect all Nigerians, I have ordered our security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of this gruesome massacre of innocent travellers and bring them to justice,” President Buhari said.
In the meantime as the facts of the sad incident continue to unfold, the Presidency has commended the ongoing efforts by the Governors of Plateau, Bauchi, and Ondo states; the Sultan of Sokoto His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar and Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, as well as a number of notable Christian and Muslim leaders, who have waded in by intensifying efforts to calm down the situation.
