Kaduna State Police Command has apprehended 12 individuals suspected of attacking worshipers during Tahajjud prayers in the early hours of March 21. The violent incident, which occurred at Layin Bilya, Makwa Road, Rigasain Kaduna, left one young man dead and prompted a swift law enforcement response.
DSP Mansir Hassan, the Command’s Spokesman, disclosed details of the incident in a statement released on Friday. “On March 21, at about 2:00 a.m., the police received a distress call from a concerned citizen,” Hassan recounted. The caller reported that a large group of armed hoodlums from Malalin Gabas, Tudun Wada, Rafin Guza, and Unguwar Baduko had descended on the mosque to target worshipers engaged in the midnight prayers.
According to Hassan, “The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) led a team of officers, accompanied by the Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), to the scene in a bid to apprehend the suspects.” However, the attackers had already struck before the team’s arrival, stabbing 23-year-old Usman Mohammad with a sharp knife. Despite being rushed to a hospital for emergency treatment, Mohammad succumbed to his severe injuries and was pronounced dead by a doctor.
Truth Live News learnt that in a rapid follow-up operation, police arrested 12 suspects who confessed to participating in the assault. “The police swiftly apprehended 12 suspects, who confessed to have partaken in the attack, and recovered several weapons from them,” Hassan confirmed. An investigation is now underway to unravel the full scope of the incident and “ensure justice is served.”
In response to the attack, the Command has bolstered security across the state, with heightened deployments around mosques hosting night prayers. Hassan called on residents to stay alert and report suspicious activities to aid in crime prevention, adding a stern warning to potential offenders: “The command is issuing a stern warning to all miscreants to desist from engaging in these criminal activities as they will face the full weight of the law, if caught.”