Burkina Faso Soldiers Reportedly Open Fire On Nigerians, Kill 16 In Cold Blood

The Nigerian Jam’iyyatu Ansariddeen Attijaniyya has accused the Burkina Faso Army of murdering their Nigerian members on their route to the home country of their leader, Sheikhul-Islam Alhaji Ibrahim Niasse, in Senegal.

The National Secretary of the movement, Sayyidi Mohammad AlQasim Yahaya, disclosed the development while speaking at a news conference in Abuja on Sunday.

According to Yahaya, reports reaching the leadership of the movement indicated that the Nigerians who were in a convoy of luxurious mini-buses were stopped by the Burkinabe army on patrol and made to disembark from the buses, “randomly selected and cold-bloodedly shot to death in a most horrendous display of bestiality”.

The National Secretary stated that 16 of the victims were killed while some vehicles and their occupants are yet to be accounted for.

He subsequently called for the arrest and prosecution of all those behind the dastardly act.

Yahaya insisted that the dire act perpetrated by the Burkina Faso army was against all known international convention and human rights charter globally, adding that extant laws and conventions that guaranteed the sanctity and inviolability of human lives, irrespective of their origin and creed has been violated.

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While quoting the African charter on Human and People’s Rights, Act cap 10, 2004, he noted that the law is binding on African state member countries including Burkina Faso and that this has been violated in this case.

“Tijjaniyya world- wide urgently draw the attention of the Nigerian government, the United Nations and Human Rights organisations to as a matter of urgency and responsibility, Wade into this matter by ensuring that the rights of the victims of this massacre are upheld and the blood thirsty culprits are immediately brought to book,” he said.