Why bandits attacked, killed over 30 persons in Katsina villages, by Masari

Buhari condemns reprisals, orders arrest of perpetrators
Governor Aminu Masari yesterday offered an insight into what led to the attacks and killing of over 30 persons by unknown gunmen on Friday evening at Tsayau and Dankar villages in Batsari Local Council of Katsina State.

The mayhem, perpetrated by dozens of armed bandits, claimed mainly the elderly and several houses and barns while the perpetrators carted away household items worth millions of naira.

The governor, however, said the security report at his disposal indicated that the killing of two Fulani herdsmen in the settlements stirred the reprisals that eventually claimed the over one score and 10 lives besides the looting of personal effects and injuries to others by the attackers.

Masari, who condemned the onslaught that he described as the greatest in the last seven months, made the clarification in Malumfashi council area during the disbursement of empowerment packages by the senator representing Katsina South in the Senate, Bello Mandiya.

He, nevertheless, cautioned the locals against attacking nomads to forestall a repeat of the ugly incident at Batsari.

The state chief executive called on beneficiaries of the programme to judiciously use what they have got.

He expressed the hope that the gesture would add value to the lives of the beneficiaries.

Also speaking, Senate President Ahmed Lawan assured the people that the National Assembly would continue to support President Muhammadu Buhari to end banditry in the state and the country at large.

Commiserating with the people over the loss, Lawan described Katsina as his second home after Yobe.

He based his love for the North West state on account of his long association with Buhari, Masari and other top indigenous politicians.

The nation’s number three citizen promised that the bill for the establishment of a university of agriculture in Funtua will soon be passed into law to give the zone a befitting tertiary institution.

In the same vein, President Buhari has flayed the killings, terming the revenge as unacceptable.

He warned yesterday in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, that “no one in the country has a right to take laws into his hands by the way of self-help or revenge.”

Buhari added: “Local communities that catch bandits should hand over the suspects to law enforcement authorities instead of meting out capital punishment leading to a cycle of revenge and counter-revenge.”

He urged community leaders and the local authorities to surrender the culprits to the relevant agencies for action while maintaining peace among farmers and herders in the state.