From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed deep shock and grief over the killing of 69 people in Niger Republic by insurgents on the country’s common border with Mali and Burkina Fasso.
According to a statement by Senior Special Assistant, Garba Shehu, Buhari, while reacting to the incident on Friday said: “This dastardly and callous attack on innocent people, including a mayor in Niger Republic, is a disturbing setback to the regional efforts to stem terrorist activities that have caused massive destructions in our countries.”
According to the President, “this remorseless and mindless violence has no place in the civilised world where the sanctity of life is valued.
“Indiscriminate violence on innocent people in one place is a threat everywhere in Africa, and therefore, there is the urgency of greater cooperation among African countries to nip terrorist threats in the bud.”
President Buhari told his Niger Republic counterpart Mohammed Bazoum that “we share your grief over this tragic incident. We African leaders must leave no stone unturned to frustrate and defeat these common enemies of humanity. Terrorism shouldn’t be treated as a localised security threat, because it’s spreading its tentacles far beyond our imaginations.”