Katsina mob razes house, car over alleged blasphemy

The Commissioner of Police in Katsina State, Aliyu Musa, on Thursday, revealed that the police had commenced a search for those responsible for the burning down of the house and a car of one Mani Habu Abubakar on Tuesday night over alleged blasphemy of Prophet Mohammed.

The house is located at Sabon Garin Alhaji Yahuza Village, Batagarawa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

It was learnt that some protesters burnt the house and Abubakar’s car around 8 pm on Tuesday for his alleged blasphemy of Prophet Mohammed in his remarks on a Facebook page.

The command said its operatives in the council intervened that night to douse tension in the community.

A statement by the command on Thursday also revealed that the police commissioner held a meeting with various stakeholders in the state, including religious and opinion leaders, at the police headquarters to further douse the tension in the community and in the state.

The command also revealed that its operatives had launched a manhunt for those who burnt Abubakar’s house and his car.

A statement signed by the command’s spokesman, Abubakar Aliyu, read: “On January 30, 2024, about 8.15 pm, a distress call was received at the Batagarawa Divisional Police Headquarters on an ongoing protest at Sabon Garin Alhaji Yahuza Village, Batagarawa Local Government Area, over an alleged ‘blasphemy’ by one Mani Habu Abubakar, alias Sadi, of the same address, via a Facebook post.

“The irate crowd set ablaze his residence and motor vehicle as he and his family escaped unhurt. Upon receipt of the report, officers were swiftly mobilised and drafted to the scene, where they successfully doused the tension, diminishing the risk of further damage.”

It was learnt that Thursday’s meeting with the police was attended by the state Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Ishaq Shehu, traditional leaders, religious leaders, as well as other relevant stakeholders in the state.

The police commissioner implored the stakeholders to call on their followers to embrace peace and be peace ambassadors at all levels while calling on the general public to continue to be law-abiding and avoid taking the laws into their own hands.

He said, “Detectives are actively pursuing various leads to identify and apprehend the culprit(s) behind the dastardly act.”

He reiterated that the command remained committed to preserving peace, law, and order while ensuring the safety of the citizens of Katsina State.

The Vice Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Katsina, Venerable Muyiwa Segun also revealed that relative calm had been restored “after proactive measures by the state’s Commissioner of Police.”

Sources revealed that Abubakar and his family were still in hiding as of Thursday, although normalcy had returned to the community.