President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the killing of at least 42 members of a vigilante group in the Yargoje forest of Kankara in Katsina State.
Recall that bandits had in an ambush attack on Thursday, massacred the vigilante group members, including other individuals, while scores sustained injuries.
It emerged at the weekend that the death toll from the incident had risen to over 80.
The police confirmed the killing and said two other vigilante members were injured during the attack.
President Muhammadu Buhari Sunday condemned the massacre.
The Katsina State government has also said it would inaugurate a panel of inquiry to investigate what led to the massacre.
In a statement signed by Garba Shehu, a presidential media aide, Mr Buhari paid tribute to the vigilante members and their family members.
He said they died as martyrs having died trying to prevent and punish crime in their communities.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families in this difficult period. May Allah repose the soul of the deceased,” the president said.
Katsina government to set up panel
The Katsina State Government has vowed to inaugurate a panel of inquiry to investigate the cause of the massacre.
The security adviser to the state government, Ibrahim Katsina, made this known to journalists Saturday night while reacting to the killing.
Mr Katsina, a retired director of the State Security Service (SSS), said some terrorists were also killed during the incident.
He said the aim of the panel was to investigate what actually happened that led to the “disheartening” killing.
“His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari is concerned with the development and has directed that a commission of inquiry and investigation panel be set up to identify the immediate and remote causes of the incident in order for us to be more proactive in addressing these challenges.
“All of you are aware Katsina State has been stabilised for some time, so this incident has upturned the successes we have recorded and the government will not allow it to go like that. We are bringing succour to the families of the victims.
“This incident had come to us as a rude shock, very sad and unfortunate that is why besides sympathising with the victims and their families, the state government is going to do the needful by ensuring that it unmasked the factors responsible for the,” he said.
How the killing occurred
The Katsina police spokesperson, Gambo Isa, said the terrorists had Wednesday attacked the house of a businessman in Kandarawa community of Bakori Local Government Area and rustled 80 domestic animals.
“On Wednesday, 1/02/2023 at about 2200hrs, terrorists in their numbers, shooting sporadically with AK 47 rifles, attacked the house of one Alhaji Muntari, at Unguwar Audu Gare, Kandarawa, Bakori LGA, and rustled fifty (50) cows and thirty (30) sheep,” he said.
Mr Isa said the attack spurred the members of the Yan Sakai group to follow the terrorists and fight them with the view to retrieving the domestic animals.
“Subsequently, on Thursday, 2/02/2023, at about 10:00hrs, Yansakai outlawed group, from eleven (11) villages from Bakori LGA, regrouped and went after the terrorists with a view to recovering the rustled domestic animals.
“They traced the footpath of the hoodlums to a location at Yargoje forest.
“Unfortunately, the terrorists planned and launched a coordinated ambush on the Yansakai. The hoodlums shot and killed forty-one (41) Yansakai and wounded two (2),” he said in the statement.
