The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kano State Command, has confirmed a violent mob attack on its outpost in Danmaje, Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area.
The incident resulted in the extrajudicial killing of three suspects and the destruction of the facility by fire. PREMIUM TIMES reports that it occurred about 24 hours after a similar incident in a separate NSCDC outpost in neighbouring Katsina, which led to three deaths.
|
|
The Kano NSCDC spokesperson, Ibrahim Abdullahi, disclosed the details in a statement released late Monday in Kano.
According to Mr Abdullahi, the crisis began at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Sunday when residents of the Yansango community brought three unidentified individuals, alleged to be motorcycle thieves, to the Danmaje outpost.
|
|
|
|---|
He said the suspects were apprehended at a location notorious for motorcycle robberies.
However, before an official investigation could begin, a large crowd from surrounding communities—including Yansango, Madinawa, Gagarawa, Limawa, Yankatsari, Danmaje, and Gurjiya—converged on the outpost.
The mob demanded that the officers hand over the suspects for “jungle justice.”
“The situation escalated rapidly as the mob cordoned off the office,” Mr Abdullahi stated. “Before reinforcements could arrive, the mob forcefully gained entry into the outpost, set the building on fire, and lynched the three suspects.”
While the officers on duty managed to escape the burning building, three personnel sustained various injuries during the melee and are currently receiving medical treatment.
The NSCDC has appealed to the residents of Dawakin Kudu and the general public to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.
The State Commandant, Mohammed Agalama, acting on directives from the Commandant-General, has established a committee of inquiry to conduct a full-scale investigation into the attack.
Mr Abdullahi reiterated the NSCDC’s commitment to justice, noting that efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the perpetrators behind the facility’s destruction and the lynching.
Similar incident in Katsina
The incident in Kano followed a similar violent confrontation between operatives of NSCDC and suspected drug peddlers that left three people dead in neighbouring Katsina State. PREMIUM TIMES reports that the Katsina incident occurred on Saturday at Koraman Nayalle, Sabuwar Unguwa Quarters.
In the Katsina incident, the unrest reportedly began when security operatives moved to arrest a suspect identified as Uzairu (popularly known as ‘Kuda’). During the operation, officers confiscated Kuda’s mobile phone and a cache of suspected illicit substances.
ALSO READ: INTERVIEW: Mob Attacks: Nigerian politicians sitting on time bomb – Former Senator
The situation turned volatile when Kuda mobilised a group of associates in an attempt to forcibly retrieve his phone from the security operatives. The ensuing chaos escalated rapidly, resulting in Kuda being shot; he was later confirmed dead at a local medical facility.
The death of the suspect sparked widespread outrage among residents, causing the violence to intensify. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the retaliatory unrest led to the deaths of two additional individuals, bringing the total toll to three. The incident also led to the burning of the NSCDC outpost and the destruction of several motorcycles, which were set ablaze during the riot.
