The federal government has vowed to hunt down and bring to justice, the killers of worshippers at a mosque in Malumfashi local government area of Katsina State.
In a statement issued to newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the minister of information and national orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the attack as callous and barbaric, condemning the murder of innocent citizens who had gathered peacefully to worship God.
Stressing that the crime must not go unpunished, he added that security forces were already on the trail of the criminals, and no stone would be left unturned until they were apprehended and held accountable for their actions.
The government assured Nigerians that justice would be swift and decisive, and that such acts of terror would never be allowed to take root in the country.
“The federal government condemns this wanton act of violence in the strongest terms. This is not only an assault on the people of Malumfashi, but also on our shared humanity and values as a nation,” he said.
Idris added that President Bola Tinubu extended his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased, the people of Malumfashi and the Katsina State government.
“Their grief is our grief, and the government stands with them at this dark hour. May the Almighty grant the departed eternal rest and console the bereaved with the fortitude to bear this painful loss,” he said.
The minister noted that only recently, as part of the government’s efforts to bring terrorists to their knees, the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) announced the arrest of top leaders of a brutal terrorist group.
Those arrested include Mahmud al-Nigeri of the Mahmuda group and his deputy, Abu Abba, along with Mahmud Muhammad Usman (also known as Abu Baraa) of the Ansaru group. The arrested terrorist leaders had been on the international wanted list.
He emphasised that the arrests were evidence of the progress being made by Nigeria’s counter-terrorism operations, in line with President Tinubu’s directive that acts of terrorism against the Nigerian state and its citizens must become a thing of the past.
He reiterated the federal government would ensure that those who shed innocent blood would find no hiding place in Nigeria.
