Tears as Katsina’s death toll exceeds 100

The number of fatalities from the clash between vigilantes and bandits in four communities in Katsina State’s Bakori Local Government Area has surpassed 100.
Residents of the affected communities reportedly stated that over one hundred people had died, and more bodies were still being found in the area, as reported by Channels Television.

The locals claimed that some people in the communities are still missing and that they are still anticipating additional burials.

63 people were buried on Friday, according to Abubakar Hashimu, a resident of Guga village, and on Saturday, a canter vehicle was also brought with more than 30 corpses.

Hashimu claims that since the incident on Thursday, when several cows were rustled by the bandits on Wednesday, more than 100 people have perished.

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In a related development, Governor Aminu Masari dispatched a delegation to offer condolences to the victims’ families under the direction of Alhaji Muntari Lawal, Secretary to the State Government.

On Sunday, a delegation from the state paid visits to the communities of Guga, Yargoje, and Gidan Gamji to express their condolences to the locals. They described the situation as extremely tragic for both the victims and their families as well as for the government.

As such a situation cannot be handled solely by the government or security agencies, Lawal urged the citizens to learn how to defend themselves.

“The actual number of those killed cannot be determined because they are still counting the dead, and nobody can give you the precise number because some of the bodies are scattered in the bush and need to be retrieved,” he said.

“The bandits are being counted at the same time that we are. Therefore, people ought to develop the courage to stand up to the devil before he finishes them.

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Don’t wait for the government to step in because by the time it does, the damage has already been done. Instead, get ready to face them.

The state government has stated plans to establish an inquiry commission to look into the immediate and long-term causes of the killings, he continued.