Residents of Sabon Garin Alhaji Yahuza Village, Batagarawa Local Government Area of Katsina, in the late hours of Tuesday, January 30, 2024, burnt down the house and car of one Mani Abubakar over alleged blasphemy of Prophet Mohammed.
Abubakar was said to have been attacked after making a blasphemous post on his Facebook page.
Reacting to the tragic incident, Katsina State Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Musa said operatives in the council intervened that night to douse tension in the community.
Musa, however, held a meeting with various stakeholders in Katsina, including religious and opinion leaders, at the police headquarters on Thursday, February 1, to further douse the tension in the community and the state.
In a statement in which these disclosures were made, the command also revealed that its operatives had launched a manhunt for those who burnt Abubakar’s house and his car.
The statement signed by the command’s spokesman, ASP Abubakar Aliyu, on the incident read in part, “On January 30, 2024, about 8.15pm, a distress call was received at the Batagarawa Divisional Police Headquarters on an ongoing protest at Sabon Garin Alhaji Yahuza Village, Batagarawa Local Government Area, 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 Vice Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Katsina, Muyiwa Segun, also revealed that calm had been restored after proactive measures by the state’s Commissioner of Police.