Death toll in Kano mosque explosion rises to 11

The Kano State Police Command, on Thursday, said 11 persons have died following Wednesday’s bombing incident at a mosque in Gadan Village, Gezawa Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesman in Kano, Abdullahi Haruna, confirmed this to our correspondent.

Haruna said three more of the victims died on Wednesday, raising the figure to 11 from the eight casualties recorded on Wednesday.

The police had on Wednesday said they arrested a 38-year-old man, Shafi’u Abubakar, who bombed a mosque Gadan Village.

“The suspect is Shafi’u Abubakar, aged 38, who said his action was purely in hostility, following a prolonged family disagreement over sharing of inheritance of which those that he alleged to have cheated on him were in the mosque at that moment and he did that for his voice to be heard,” the police spokesman said.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 1, Umar Sanda, confirmed the incident when a delegation of security personnel visited the victims at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital.

“What happened is not associated with any act of terrorism, rather it was a skirmish that arose as a result of inheritance distribution.

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“The suspect was said not to be satisfied with the distribution and was reacting to that. He is presently with us and is giving out useful information.

“Out of the 24 that were admitted here, one is dead. It is really unfortunate. He used a locally-made bomb to commit the crime,” he said.

The earlier statement by the PPRO read, “Today, 15/05/2024, at about 0520hrs, reports were received that there was an explosion at a mosque in Gadan Village, Gezawa LGA, Kano State, during ‘Subhi Prayer’ and that some people got injured.

“On receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Mohammed Usaini Gumel, immediately deployed the command’s combined teams consisting of experts in Explosive Ordnance Disposal-Chemical Biological, Radiological and Nuclear led by CSP Haruna Isma’il and other crime-scene policemen, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Gezawa Division,  Haruna Iliya.

“The scene was cordoned off and 24 victims, including 20 male adults and four male children, were removed and rushed to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Kano, where they are currently receiving treatment.”

According to eyewitness accounts, shortly after pouring fuel inside the mosque, Aminu locked the doors, thereby trapping worshippers inside, before setting off the bomb.

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One of the injured victims,,Sadik Kamal, who spoke to The PUNCH, said when the flames engulfed the mosque, he desperately attempted to escape but found the exit doors securely locked.

“It was the latecomers who struggled to open the locked doors to make good the escape of those trapped to safety,” Kamal said.

According to him, Aminu has a history of violent behaviour in the village, adding that he had earlier brandished a machete, threatening fellow villagers.

Kamal said authorities had once arrested and sent Aminu to a psychiatric hospital for mental health evaluation.

“His latest action, bordering on arson is not an isolated incident,” Kamal said, noting that the suspect had previously not only set ablaze his brother’s car but also attacked him with a cutlass.

Zabiya Ibrahim, whose three uncles were among the victims, called for justice,  alleging that Aminu’s actions were deliberate and not due to mental illness.

“He knows how to make money,” she said, recalling that he was involved in riding a popular local tricycle known as ‘Adai-Adai ta Sahu’ to make ends meet.

To this end, Ibrahim urged the government to ensure that Aminu was held responsible for his actions to serve as a deterrent to would-be culprits.

Death toll in Kano mosque explosion rises to 11

My husband sold our TV to gamble, woman tells court

A housewife, Muinat Ibrahim, on Thursday, filed for divorce in an Area Court in Ilorin on grounds that her husband, Jamiu Abdulmumini sold their television set and other valuables to gamble.

The petitioner told the court that she discovered her husband’s addiction to gambling immediately after their wedding and had tried her best to stop making him stop.

“My husband sold our television set, fridge, and my two Android phones to gamble.

“He also lost two commercial motorcycles and spent my school fees on gambling.

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“I moved out of his house but returned after he promised to stop. He never stopped,” she said.

Ibrahim told the court that her husband moved out of their house to live with his parents when he could no longer get money from her.

The respondent, however, told the court that he was sorry and promised to change.

“I promise to stop gambling. Please give me another chance to make amends.

The presiding Judge, Hammad Ajumonbi, advised the respondent to stop gambling.

“If you continue gambling, you might lose everything you worked for, he said.

Ajumonbi, however, granted the plea of the respondent and gave him one week to change his behavior.

He also asked him to pay back the money he owed his wife and be a responsible husband.

He adjourned the case until May 23, for report of settlement.

My husband sold our TV to gamble, woman tells court

7 more kidnapped Kogi varsity students rescued

The Kogi State Police Command has reported the successful rescue of seven additional abducted students from the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, bringing the total number of rescued students to 21 out of the 24 initially abducted.

SP Williams Aya, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), confirmed this development in a statement released on Thursday. He disclosed that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, had deployed a specialized Air Component of Police Security Apparatus, including helicopter crews trained for aerial surveillance and a Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU), to support the ongoing rescue operation and combat criminal activities in the state.

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Aya praised the combined efforts of the police and other security agencies, emphasizing their commitment to ensuring the safe rescue of all abducted students and bringing the perpetrators to justice. He also noted the satisfaction expressed by the Kogi State Government and the university community with the progress of the rescue operations.

The state Commissioner of Police, Benthrad Onuoha, lauded the IGP for the comprehensive deployment of security personnel and resources to address the situation effectively.

Additionally, unconfirmed reports indicated that the commander of the bandits responsible for the institution’s invasion was killed in a gun battle in the bush on Wednesday.

In a viral video, the alleged commander, dressed in military camouflage, was seen tied to a stick and paraded for scrutiny by other security operatives.

However, the state police command declined to confirm the reported killing of the bandits’ commander, highlighting the ongoing nature of the situation and the need for accurate verification before making official statements.

(DailyTrust)

7 more kidnapped Kogi varsity students rescued