President Muhammadu Buhari has strongly condemned Thursday’s massacre of innocent persons in Birane village, Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The President stated this in a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, following the death of at least 18 persons as a result of the attack.
He condoled with the families of victims of the heinous and inhuman attacks on defenseless citizens which left many injured.
President Buhari prayed that the Almighty God receives the souls of the departed and comfort their families.
He further directed the Minister of Defence, Brigadier-General Mansur Dan Ali (Rtd), to proceed immediately to the state to undertake an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and report back.
The President ordered the security agencies to immediately mobilise and deploy their members to the vulnerable areas of the state, and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to face the full wrath of the law.
He assured the Zamfara State government, victims of the mayhem, and residents in the state that the Federal Government would continue to do all it takes to support security agencies to secure lives and property, not only in the affected state but in all parts of the country.
President Buhari restated the determination of his administration to put an end to the spate of senseless spilling of innocent blood in parts of the country.
He, however, called for restraint to allow the nation’s security apparatus to stem the undesirable trend.
Earlier, the Police Public Relations Officer in Zamfara State, Mr Muhammad Shehu, told Channels Television in an interview that the attack was a reprisal.
According to him, the trouble began on Tuesday after hunters in the village intercepted and accosted a herder in the bush with some cattle and sheep suspected to have been stolen.
He said the incident prompted some suspected cattle rustlers to mobilise bandits from another state to attack the hunters.
Shehu, however, informed Channels Television that operatives of the Police Intelligence Unit have already commenced an investigation to arrest the perpetrators of the attack.
