President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned Saturday’s ambush in central Plateau state of buses returning from a religious festival in nearby Bauchi state.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the President described the killing of 23 people returning from a Muslim festival in neighbouring Bauchi State as a premeditated ambush.
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
“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,” Buhari said.
“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.”
In his own reaction, Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, said security agencies had arrested 20 suspects and imposed a 6 a.m.-6 p.m. curfew in the area due to fear of reprisals.
“This is purely a criminal conduct and should not be given any ethnic or religious colouration,” he said.
Though details of the attack in the Plateau State capital, Jos, were unclear, some media suggested a Christian militia was to blame.
