Buhari mourns Nigerian Muslim pilgrims killed in Burkina Faso

 

 

Wilson Adekumola

 

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) has bemoaned the killing of some Nigerian Muslim pilgrims on their way to Kaolak, Senegal, in Burkina Faso.

No fewer than 16 Nigerians who were members of the Islamic group known as Jam’iyyatu Ansaariddeen Attijjaniyya, Sayyidi were reportedly killed by soldiers in Burkina Faso over the weekend.

Buhari’s media aide, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Monday, said the president expressed his condolences and prayed for the safety of other Nigerians stranded in the country.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Nigerian Embassy in Burkina Faso, was engaging with the Burkinabe authorities and awaits for the outcome of their investigation of the unfortunate incident, and if necessary, to ensure that all culprits are appropriately sanctioned,” Shehu added.

He further stated that the Nigeria government will do everything in its capacity to ensure the safety of the of the “mortal remains and those who survived the attack.”

Meanwhile, the National Secretary of the Islamic body, Yahaya, disclosed that adherents of Tijjaniyya world-wide are known for regularly paying “homage to their leader, Sheikhul-Islam Alhaji Ibrahim Niasse Al-Kaulahee, particularly for conferences and Maulid celebrations.”

 

During such movements, according to him, “convoys of vehicles from Nigeria used to travel through international borders to Kaolack, Senegal, traversing countries such as Niger, Burkina-Faso, and Mali.”

He said during this year’s journey, “a delegation of Nigerians, in a convoy of luxurious and mini-buses, were stopped by the Burkinabe Army on patrol and made to disembark from their buses.”