President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed disgust over yesterday, Thursday’s massacre of innocent persons in Birane village, Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The President, who condemned what he called: ‘the heinous and inhuman attacks on defenceless citizens which left many injured, sympathized with families of victims.
This was even as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also condemned the massacre in which scores of innocent people were forced out of their vehicles and brutally killed by unknown bandits
President Buhari has already directed security agencies to immediately mobilize and deploy their members to the vulnerable areas of the state, and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to face the full wrath of the law.
The President assured the Zamfara State government, victims of the mayhem and residents in the state, that the Federal Government will continue do all it takes to support security agencies to secure lives and property, not only in the affected state but all parts of the country.
He restated his administration’s determination to put an end to the spate of senseless spilling of innocent blood in parts of the country, and calls for restraint to allow the nation’s security apparatus to stem the undesirable trend.
That was even as Atiku Abubakar described the spate of killings in Rivers, Kaduna and Benue as appalling, adding that the continued large scale destruction of human lives by criminal groups is unacceptable.
Atiku Abubakar expressed concern on the frequency of these hideous attacks by criminal gangs, saying that the ease with which criminal groups have access to dangerous weapons in the country is worrisome and disturbing.
“When human beings are falling like flies repeatedly, ambushed by savage mass murderers and killed in cold blood, I wonder what becomes of the sanctity of life.”
Atiku Abubakar called for greater vigilance and stricter enforcement of ban on the proliferation small arms and other deadly weapons in the hands of criminals.
“Apart from identifying, arresting and prosecuting arms suppliers, there should be an intensification of efforts by our security personnel”.
He extended his condolences and prayers to the Government of Zamfara State and families of the victims.
Meanwhile, the Zamfara State Police command has thrown light on the incident that occurred in Zurmi LGA that led to the killing of many people on February 13.
In a statement from the command said that the hunters from Birani village of Zurmi LGA had intercepted and accosted a herder in the bush with some suspected stolen cattle and sheep.
It said that the herder abandoned the animals and escaped into the bush, unknown to the hunters that the cattle rustler had gonet to Isah LGA of sokoto state to mobilise bandits to attack the hunters.
“Therefore, on 14th February, 2018, the bandits ambushed the hunters in the bush and there was a clash that led to fatality from both sides. Police/Military and other sister agencies who reacted by combing the bush and it’s environs to salvage the situation discovered 18 death bodies. While it is believed that the bandits took away their own persons that were killed. Meanwhile, bush combing is in progress so as to further profile the area.
“Mobile men/ Special forces and Military fortified the affected axis. The Command intelligence unit in conjunction with State CID are investigating the matter to arrest the perpetrators of this dastardly act.”
The command promised, in the statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mohammed Shehu, to provide more information as the events unfold.
