Lawmaker Flays Killing of 14 Persons, Condoles with Families

• Urges govt, security agencies to end killings

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The lawmaker representing Musawa/Matazu Federal Constituency in Katsina State, Hon. Abdullahi Aliyu Ahmed, has condemned the killing of 14 persons by suspected terrorists at Rugan Kusa community in Musawa Local Government Area of the state.

Fourteen Maulud celebrants were killed, while 19 others were wounded after the suspected terrorists attacked the festival venue in Rugan Kusa community Sunday night.

The hoodlums stormed the Maulud celebration venue at about 10: 00pm, when the victims from Yar Ungwa and Gidan Malamai communities in Matazu Local Government assembled at the Rugan Kusa for the festival.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those murdered,” the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker said while condoling the grieving communities on Monday.

He explained that the marauding hoodlums killed 14 persons, mostly children, abducted 20 and left 19 others with varying degrees of gunshots injuries during the horrific attack.

According to him, “13 people died on the spot and another child died this afternoon (Monday) at the Federal Teaching Hospital, 19 people injured and more than 20 missing. And one person later died in the hospital here.”

The Talban-Musawa raised the alarm over the rising spate of killings and kidnapping by the terrorists in communities in Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas of the state.

He said the situation has negatively impacted the livelihoods of inhabitants, subjected them to hardship, as they can no longer go to farms and perform other day-to-day commercial activities

Describing the recent attack as horrendous, the federal lawmaker said the security situation of the constituency remained precarious despite security agencies and government’s efforts to address the challenges.

Consequently, Ahmed urged the state government and security agencies to rekindle their efforts and adopt revolving security strategies with a view to arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

Ahmed, who also visited the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, where the injured victims are receiving treatment, donated some cash to them in order to clear some of their hospital bills.