By Ayodele Oni
Benue and Kano State Governments have condemned the killing of two persons who were Indigenes of Kano by gunmen at Agan settlement in Makurdi, the Benue Capital.
The killing has sparked outrage and palpable tension in Kano.
The deceased, identified as Jamilu Ahmad and Barhana Suleiman, were travelling through Makurdi before the incident on Monday evening.
The deceased were sons of Ibrahim Khalil, a Kano-based Islamic scholar. They were buried at the Gudu cemetery in Abuja on Tuesday.
Their Islamic funeral prayer (Janazah), which took place at the national mosque in Abuja, was attended by Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser (NSA), and Abba Yusuf, Governor of Kano.
Hyacinth Alia, the Governor of Benue state, in a statement issued by Tersoo Kula, his Chief Press Secretary, described the murder as “barbaric and unacceptable”, ordering that perpetrators be arrested.
Alia said his administration would not allow criminal elements to tarnish the image of the state. The Benue governor sympathized with the Kano governor over the loss.
“Benue people are known for their hospitality and peaceful disposition. We cannot allow some criminal elements to tarnish our image and create a contrary image for our people.
“These criminals must be fished out immediately and made to face the full wrath of the law.”
In his reaction, Governor Yusuf said that the Kano Government will work towards ensuring that those who killed Suleiman and Ahmad are arrested.
The Governor said the victims are innocent citizens “whose only crime was exercising their constitutional right to live and work in any part of Nigeria.
“This Government will not rest until justice is served,” Yusuf was quoted in a statement released by Bature Dawakin Tofa, his spokesperson.
“We call for calm and restraint as we work closely with security agencies at all levels and the Benue State Government to bring the murderers to justice.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us. Every citizen has the right to live, move, and thrive in any part of this country without fear of discrimination or violence.”
Last Friday, 12 people were killed after a mob set ablaze a bus packed with wedding guests who were travelling from Zaria, Kaduna, to Quan Pan LGA in Plateau.
The wedding guests reportedly lost their way before they were ambushed by a mob in Mangun.
Some Kano travelers were few months ago ambushed at Uromi, in Edo state and killed by some members of the state Vigilante that mistaken them for Fulani terrorists.
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