The death toll from the attack by bandits on worshippers at a mosque in the Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State has risen to 32, the state government said on Wednesday.
This was contained in a statement by the media directorate of the government following a visit by a delegation led by the Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Faskari, to the Unguwar Mantau community.
The delegation was received in Karfi town by the village head and the relatives of the deceased.
“During the condolence visit, it was confirmed that 32 people were killed while observing prayers. The number of those kidnapped is still being verified, as a swift air interdiction by the Nigerian Air Force disrupted the bandits while they were moving with captives.
“In the ensuing confusion, some victims scattered in different directions, while others were rescued and are now receiving treatment in hospitals,” the statement partly read.
According to the statement, the Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, who is currently on medical leave, immediately consulted with the Acting Governor, Malam Faruk Lawal Jobe, on the urgent need to dispatch a high-powered government delegation to commiserate with the bereaved families and the affected community, in a swift response to the tragic attack.
Faskari described the attack as a “deeply painful and heartbreaking tragedy”.
He assured the community that the government would not relent in its efforts to strengthen security and restore lasting peace.
“Our hearts are with the families who lost their loved ones in this senseless attack. This administration remains committed to working with all security agencies to ensure justice is served and to prevent such tragedies in the future,” he said.
The delegation also assured the community that immediate support had been extended to the victims’ families, while a comprehensive assessment of damages and needs is currently underway.
The delegation included the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Mu’azu; the Senior Special Assistant on Community Watch, the Senior Special Assistant on Victims of Banditry and IDPs, the member representing Malumfashi at the Katsina State House of Assembly; the chairman of Malumfashi Local Government.
Others were heads of security agencies in the state, including the Commissioner of Police, the Commander of the Nigerian Army 17 Brigade, the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Youths Protests
Meanwhile, some angry youths of the community, on Tuesday, took to the Malumfashi–Funtua highway to protest the killing of the worshipers.
Katsina youths protested against the killing of the worshippers at a mosque in the state.
The protesters, in their numbers, reportedly barricaded the busy highway, a major route linking Kano to Funtua, Gusau, and Sokoto Road, leaving motorists and commuters stranded for hours.
The protest, according to eyewitnesses, eventually spread into Malumfashi town, causing a total gridlock, thereby forcing many travellers to abandon their journeys.
Police Confirm 17 Killed
The police had earlier on Wednesday said that the death toll from the attack rose to 17.
The spokesman of the Katsina State Police Command, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, who confirmed this to our correspondent, said 15 people were earlier fatally shot and seven injured by the attackers.
He said two out of the seven earlier injured later succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment in hospital.
“Fifteen people fatally shot, seven injured, later while receiving treatment at the hospital, two out of the seven succumbed to their injuries,” Sadiq confirmed.
However, the lawmaker representing Malumfashi Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Aminu Ibrahim, claimed that 30 worshippers were killed during the attack.
He also raised the alarm over the worsening insecurity in his constituency.
While speaking emotionally during plenary, the lawmaker fought back tears as he narrated the ordeal of his people, whom he said now live under constant fear of bandits.
The attacks, he explained, occurred in Gidan Adamu Mantau, Unguwar Yar Mai Dabo, and Makera villages in the Karfi ward of the Malumfashi Local Government Area, stating that the Burdigau community in Yaba ward was also under siege.
Ibrahim further lamented that despite reports to security operatives between 6 pm and 7 pm on Monday, about suspicious movements of the bandits around Burdigau, the security agents only arrived at about 8 pm to 9 pm before withdrawing.
“By dawn on Tuesday, the bandits struck, killing 30 worshippers during morning prayers at Unguwar Mantau,” said the lawmaker.
He, therefore, appealed to the House and the state government to urgently deploy security personnel to establish permanent bases in Karfi and Yaba wards to restore peace and protect residents.
“The situation has become unbearable. Our people can no longer live in their villages because of these relentless attacks,” he lamented.
Slain Worshippers Buried
Meanwhile, the deceased have been buried in Malumfashi town.
The funeral prayer was attended on Wednesday by religious and traditional leaders.
It was also attended by community leaders as well as government and security officials.
The attack reportedly occurred during the early morning (Fajr) prayers when the bandits stormed the mosque and opened fire on the worshippers.
The Katsina Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasiru Mu’azu, in a statement on Tuesday, described the incident as “a reprisal” undertaken by the hoodlums after residents of the area had earlier confronted them.
“The incident occurred when criminal elements launched a reprisal on the community. The Muslim members of the community were praying in the mosque during the Fajr prayer when the criminal element started shooting sporadically in the mosque.
“The attack was in retaliation for the community’s successful defence efforts two days earlier.
“The people of Unguwan Mantau decided to lay an ambush against the bandits and killed many of them. They rescued victims taken from Ruwan Sanyi village, seized 3 motorcycles, and 2 AK-47s. The security agencies are now on the ground in Unguwan Muntau to restore normalcy,” the commissioner stated.
