The President, Major Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), says the killings that took place in Katsina over the weekend were done in retaliation of what the farmers had done to the bandits earlier.
According to the President, however, bandits had been subjected to jungle justice by the affected communities, causing the miscreants to return to the communities to wreak havoc.
Buhari, however, condemned the attacks, insisting that no one had the right to take the law into their own hands.
In a statement titled, ‘Revenge killings in Katsina State unacceptable’ which was signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said the authorities must be allowed to do their work.
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The statement read in part,
“President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the latest round of attacks on farmers by bandits in Damkal and Tsanwa villages in Batsari local government area of Katsina state, saying that killing people in the name of revenge is not acceptable.
“Reacting to the incident in which many homesteads were razed by fire with many people killed at weekend, the President on Sunday warned that no one in the country has a right to take the law into his hands by the way of self-help or revenge.
“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 continue their efforts in partnership with law enforcement agencies that bring the surrender of bandits, leading to peace between farmers and herders.
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“The authorities must be allowed to investigate and deal with any breach that occurs. There is no place for violence in a decent society,” said the President.
Buhari prayed that God would comfort families that have lost loved ones in the attacks and repose the souls of the victims.
About 30 persons were killed between Friday night and Saturday morning in some villages in Katsina State.
The hoodlums burnt the homes of their victims and also killed some animals.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Sanusi Buba, had while briefing the media on Saturday, said the police did not know the cause of the killings.
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“I still find it surprising. What could have been the motive? These people (bandits) could carry out such a dastardly act? We are, however, after them,” the police commissioner had said.
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