Abubakar Mani, alias Sadi, and his family members escaped a mob attack in Sabon Garin Alhaji Yahuza village, Batagarawa local government area, Katsina State, after being accused of blasphemy against the Islamic faith in a Facebook post.
On Tuesday night, however, an enraged mob descended on Mani’s house and set fire to it, as well as his vehicle.
In response to the event, the Katsina State Police Command has issued an appeal for calm, urging locals to always follow the law and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
According to the Command’s spokesman, Sadiq Abubakar Aliyu, the Commissioner of Police, CP Aliyu Abubakar Musa, met with the State’s Commissioner for Religious Affairs, traditional and religious leaders, and key stakeholders in the state to discuss the situation.
He exhorted them to encourage their followers to embrace peace and become peace ambassadors at all levels of society.
He guaranteed that investigators were aggressively pursuing numerous leads to identify and apprehend the perpetrator(s) of the heinous act, and he emphasized that the Command was committed to maintaining peace, law, and order while assuring the protection of the state’s residents.
The CP emphasized the deployment of more resources to improve security measures around the area, as well as the implementation of increased police presence, monitoring, and coordinated community engagement programs to prevent any potential breach of peace.
“On January 30, 2024, about 2015 hrs, a distress call was received at the Batagarawa Divisional Police Headquarters on an ongoing protest at Sabon Garin Alhaji Yahuza Village, Batagarawa LGA, 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.
“The command urged anyone with information related to the incident to kindly come forward and assist in the ongoing investigation,” the statement read.