By Muhammad Sabiu
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) on Sunday “unequivocally condemns” the attack and killing of over 22 Muslim travellers by a suspected Christian militia in Plateau State.
On Saturday, the Daily Reality newspaper reported the killing of the travellers who were returning from Bauchi to Ondo after attending a religious event.
In a statement, the NSCIA said, “The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) under the leadership of its President-General Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, unequivocally condemns the massacre of a group of innocent Muslims who were returning from Bauchi to Akure. Ondo State, on Saturday.”
The Muslim body appeals for calm and warns against reprisals, saying, “…the Council appeals to all Muslims to be calm and nobody should take laws into his or her hands. The Council re-emphasises that no human life deserves to be wasted on any ground, be it religious or ethnic.”
The Presidency also condemned the killing in a statement signed by the presidential spokesperson, Malam Garba Shehu.
Again, social media users took to their accounts to protest the killing by sharing photo and video content of the victims’ bodies and their funerals.