The federal government has vowed to hunt down and prosecute those behind the killing of worshippers in Malumfashi LGA of Katsina state.
In a statement on Friday, Mohammed Idris, minister of Information and national orientation, described the attack as “callous and barbaric,” stressing that such crimes against harmless citizens gathered in peace to worship would not go unpunished.
According to him, security forces are already on the trail of the perpetrators, and “no stone will be left unturned until they are apprehended and held accountable for their actions.”
“The government assures Nigerians that justice will be swift and decisive, and that such acts of terror will never be allowed to take root in the country,” the statement reads.
Idris said the Federal Government condemns the violence in the strongest terms, describing it as not only an assault on the people of Malumfashi but also on Nigeria’s shared humanity and values.
He conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s condolences to the families of the victims, 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 reiterated that those who shed innocent blood would find no hiding place in Nigeria.
He recalled that, only recently, the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) announced the arrest of key terrorist leaders, including Mahmud al-Nigeri of the Mahmuda group and his deputy, Abu Abba, as well as Mahmud Muhammad Usman (Abu Baraa) of the Ansaru group.
“These arrests, involving individuals previously on the international wanted list, are clear evidence of the successes being recorded by Nigeria’s counterterrorism operations under the directives of President Tinubu,” Idris said.
He stressed that the president had made it clear that acts of terrorism against the Nigerian state and its citizens “will soon be a spectre of the past.”
