Katsina police hunt residents for burning neighbour’s house, car

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

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

It was learnt that some protesters had burnt the house and Abubakar’s car around 8pm 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 state police commissioner held a meeting with various stakeholders in the state, including religious and opinion leaders, at the police headquarters on Thursday to further douse the tension in the community and the state.

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

The statement signed by the command’s spokesman, ASP Abubakar Aliyu, on the incident read in part, “On January 30, 2024, about 8.15pm, 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, swiftly, officers were 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 was attended by the Commissioner of Police, the state Commissioner for r
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 laws into their own hands.

The police commissioner also “assured them that detectives are actively pursuing various leads to identify and apprehend the culprit(s) behind the dastardly act, as he further reiterated that the command remains 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,  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.