Protesting relatives of victims of banditry and violent killings from Batsari Local Government Area, on Tuesday, in Katsina, took 14 corpses of their dead relations to the Palace of Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmuminu kabir Usman and to the Government House where they also displayed the dead bodies before Governor Aminu Bello Masari, demanding an immediate end to banditry and all forms of kidnapping in their areas.

The Emir while sympathising with the protesters over the incident, prayed for lasting peace in the state especially in communities that are faced with frequent attacks from the bandits.

Also, Governor Masari, who lamented over the deaths and frequency of attacks by bandits, said government would do whatever it can to ensure that the cases of banditry were tackled head-on.

He, however, cautioned the youths against embarking on protests over what had happened, saying such would not change what had happened.

He said ‘’I urge you to exercise restraint and allow government carry out its responsibility of protecting the citizenry, I want to assure you that the police and other security agencies were working to tackle the problem’’.

Read also: Police parade kidnappers of Masari’s mother-in-law, 70 others in Katsina

Other parts of the state had sad tales of banditry attacks and kidnappings with more than 34 people said to have lost their lives in Batsari, Faskari and Danmusa council areas following multiple attacks on hapless community members by bandits.

At Yar Gamji village in Batsari, 18 people lost their lives, while 11 were killed in Sabon Layin Galadima community, in Faskari and five persons in Mara Zamfarawa and Danmusa council area.

Most of those killed were said to be at their farmlands when the bandits struck, with sources indicating that more bodies had been discovered. It was also learnt that cattle belonging to some of the victims were rustled by the bandits, even as some of the villages affected have been deserted for fear of another attack.

At Sabon Layin Galadima village in Faskari council area, the bandits were said to have attacked from several directions riding on motorcycles, and armed with automatic weapons.

They killed 11 persons, wounded several others and rustled some animals, before expecting into the Rugu forest. At Mara Zamfarawa village in Danmusa, five persons were killed with many others injured. Animals were said to have been resulted in the process.

The spokesman for the Police Command in the state, SP Gambo Isah while confirming the Faskari incidents said that information before the police showed that only one person was shot in the face during the incident, and that the victim was receiving medical attention.

On the events that took place in other locations as narrated above, he promised to react later. (The Nation)

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