The Federal Government has vowed to hunt down and prosecute those responsible for the killings of worshippers in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, disclosed this in a statement he personally signed on Friday in Abuja.
Describing the attack as “callous and barbaric,” Idris said it was a crime against innocent citizens who had gathered peacefully to worship, stressing that it must not go unpunished.
“Security forces are already on the trail of the criminals, and no stone will be left unturned until they are apprehended and held accountable for their actions. The government assures Nigerians that justice will be swift and decisive, and that such acts of terror will never be allowed to take root in the country,” the minister said.
He added that the Federal Government condemns the killings in the strongest terms, noting that it was not only an assault on the people of Malumfashi but also on Nigeria’s shared humanity and values.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu has extended his condolences to the families of the deceased, the people of Malumfashi, and the Katsina State Government.
“Their grief is our grief, and the government stands with them at this dark hour. May the Almighty grant the departed eternal rest and console the bereaved with the fortitude to bear this painful loss. Those who shed innocent blood will find no hiding place in Nigeria,” Idris said.
The minister further recalled recent breakthroughs in counter-terrorism, citing the arrest of top terrorist leaders by the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
Among those apprehended, he said, were Mahmud al-Nigeri of the Mahmuda group, his deputy Abu Abba, and Mahmud Muhammad Usman (Abu Baraa) of the Ansaru group — all of whom were on the international wanted list.
Idris stressed that the arrests reflect the successes of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism operations under Tinubu’s directive.
“The president has made it very clear that acts of terrorism against the Nigerian state and its citizens will soon be a spectre of the past,” he added.
