The Federal Government has vowed to hunt down and bring to justice the gunmen responsible for the killing of at least 32 worshippers during a mosque attack in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The assailants reportedly stormed the mosque on Tuesday night, in what officials described as a reprisal attack by bandits seeking revenge for their members earlier ambushed by residents.
In a statement, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, condemned the killings, describing them as “callous, barbaric and an assault on our shared humanity.”
“Security forces are already on the trail of the criminals, and no stone will be left unturned until they are apprehended and held accountable for their actions,” Idris declared.
He assured that the government will ensure swift and decisive justice, stressing that acts of terror would never be allowed to thrive in Nigeria.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through the minister, extended condolences to the bereaved families, 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,” the statement read.
The minister also highlighted the Federal Government’s recent counter-terrorism successes, including the arrest of notorious terrorist leaders such as Mahmud al-Nigeri, leader of the Mahmuda group, his deputy Abu Abba, and Mahmud Muhammad Usman (Abu Baraa) of the Ansaru group, all of whom were on the international wanted list.
Idris noted that these arrests demonstrated the government’s determination to crush terrorism, in line with President Tinubu’s directive that “those who shed innocent blood will find no hiding place in Nigeria.”
