By Ibrahim Danladi
In a harrowing incident that unfolded early on Tuesday, a group of bandits stormed a mosque in the Sabon Layi area of Kakangi ward, situated within the Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Tragically, they killed the mosque’s Imam, along with one worshipper identified as Kabir, while leaving two others with varying degrees of injuries.
The two seriously injured worshippers, named Bilya Mairabo and Ashiru Mairabo, are currently receiving medical treatment at the Jibrin Maigwari General Hospital in Birnin-Gwari.
Zubair AbduRrauf, a community leader who bears the title of Danmasanin of Birnin-Gwari, relayed the grim details of the assault during a phone interview with PUNCH Online. He emphasized that these bandit attacks have become a near-daily occurrence in the Birnin-Gwari region, where residents, particularly farmers, are killed and abducted regularly.
AbduRrauf highlighted the particularly dire situation along the Birnin-Gwari-Kaduna highway, where travelers and road users now live in constant fear. He stated, “Yes, an Imam of a mosque and two other worshippers were killed. It occurred around 5 am on Tuesday. Two other worshippers are at the Jibrin Maigwari General Hospital, Birnin-Gwari. The attack took place at Ga Allah Babba of Sabon Layi, an agrarian community in the Western part of Birnin-Gwari. These are areas neighboring the Kamuku National Park and the Kuyebana Forest in Zamfara and Niger states.”
He further expressed, “We are in a precarious situation in Birnin-Gwari. Even on the Kaduna – Birnin-Gwari highway, people are being escorted by either security personnel or the vigilante. Two days ago, the bandits killed two people coming back from Kaduna. The bandits’ attack is on a daily basis. Security personnel are really trying their best to see that the attacks are being curtailed but we need a change of strategy from them (security personnel).”
As of now, there has been no official confirmation from either the state government or the state police command regarding the incident.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, mentioned that he was unable to provide immediate information due to driving but promised to return with more details.