16 Nigerians Allegedly Murdered By Burkina Faso Soldiers

According to the Nigerian Jam’iyyatu Ansariddeen Attijaniyya, its devotees were murdered purportedly by Burkina Faso soldiers on their way to the home country of their leader, Sheikhul-Islam Alhaji Ibrahim Niasse, in Senegal.

The movement’s national secretary, Sayyidi Mohammad AlQasim Yahaya, announced this at a news conference on Sunday, February 5, 2023, in Abuja. He also called for the arrest and prosecution of everyone responsible for the heinous act.

He claimed that a report made available to the movement’s leadership in Nigeria showed that a delegation of Nigerians travelling in a convoy of luxurious minibuses on a fateful day was forced to disembark by Burkinabe army soldiers on patrol, “randomly selected and cold-bloodedly shot to death in a most horrendous display of bestiality.”

16 of them, Yahaya said, were slain, and some vehicles and their passengers have yet not been found.

He said, “The Jam’iyyatu Ansaariddeen Attijjaniyya (JAMAA) is an Islamic Organization which serves as a fulcrum Sufee body for the teeming adherents of the Tijjaniyya Order globally with pristine ideals for religious knowledge, harmony, tolerance, peaceful co-existence, and societal development.

“Adherents of Tijjaniyya worldwide are known to regularly pay visits to the home country of their leader, Sheikhul-Islam Alhaji Ibrahim Niasse Al-Kaulahee, particularly for conferences and Maulid celebrations. During such movements, convoys of vehicles from Nigeria used to travel through international borders to Kaolack, Senegal, traversing countries such as Niger, Burkina-Faso, and Mali.

“During this year’s journey, a delegation of Nigerians in a convoy of luxurious mini-buses were stopped by Burkina-Faso Soldiers on patrol and made to disembark from their buses. They were randomly selected without any questioning and cold-bloodedly shot to death in a most horrendous display of bestiality. The current number of casualties is 16 dead, while some vehicles and their occupants are yet to be accounted for.

“Deriving from the above, we hearken to urgently draw the attention of the Nigerian Government, the United Nations, and genuine Human Rights organizations to, as a matter of responsibility, wade into this matter and ensure that the rights of the victims of this massacre are upheld and the blood-thirsty culprits are immediately brought to book.

“JAMAA, as a responsible and law-abiding organization, has made extensive efforts to ensure that the aggrieved relations and fellow faithful brothers of the victims remain patient and calm while waiting for the response of the Nigerian Government in letting the world know that Nigerian lives matter and cannot just be wantonly terminated without requisite consequences.

“It is of note to lay emphasis on the extant laws that guaranteed the sanctity and inviolability of human lives, irrespective of their origin and creed. The African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification & Enforcement), Act Cap 10, 2004, is a law binding on African State Member Countries, including Burkina Faso, which has been wantonly violated in this case.

“While we patiently await the expedited action of the concerned Governments in Nigeria and Burkina Faso, as well as the United Nations and global human rights stakeholders, we appeal to all our teeming members in Nigeria and outside, to remain law abiding while we pursue the course of justice for the victims and their aggrieved families. All members and fellow Muslims are called upon to pray for the repose of the souls of the innocent victims.”

The Fidau/special prayers for the victims will be held in the national headquarters in Asokoro, Abuja, on February 8, 2023.