BANDITARY: Police rescue 26 youths from lynching in Katsina

An attempt by an outlawed group, Yankasai to lynch 26 young men over allegation of being bandits was thwarted by the police in Rugar Kindi village, Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State on Friday.

According to the Katsina State Police Command on Saturday evening, its timely intervention, alongside other security agencies saved the 26 young men from being burnt alive, adding that a policeman and a soldier were injured in the process.

The Police Spokesperson in the state, Gambo Isah, who spoke with journalists about the incident, said that Yansakai members had on Friday afternoon, swooped on Rugar Kindi village, mainly occupied by the Fulani, and started burning down houses in the place.

The Yansakai members allegedly claimed that the 26 people were bandits.

Isah said further that following a distress call, a police team was dispatched to the village, adding that the Yansakai members initially resisted the police move to rescue the young men.

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He said: “After our men successfully repelled the Yansakai members and rescued the young men, they moved to the Dandume Police Station where they started firing again and wanted to burn down the police station. We were able to repel them again and prevent the police station from being burnt down by the Yansakai members with our superior fire power and that of our sister security agencies who assisted us.

“We found out that the rescued young men had already sustained several injuries as a result of the attacks. We moved the young men to the command’s headquarters in Katsina for safety. The state Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Buba, has already given a directive that all the members of the outlawed group who participated in the incident must be arrested. This is a country governed by laws and we shall not fold our arms and allow anybody or group to take laws into their hands.’’

The police spokesman further explained that the police team couldn’t arrest any member of the group during the incident because its aim was to ensure the safety of the young men and prevented the burning of the police station.

“Now that the Commissioner of Police has given a directive that we should arrest any member of the outlaw Yansakai group who participated in the incident, we assure them that their days are numbered”, Issah added.

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