Sultan of Sokoto-led JNI tasks Tinubu over on-the-spot assessment of mass killing of Nigerians in Kasuwar Daji

*Says president should make national broadcast to forestall escalations

*As public anger rises over repeated attacks on vulnerable communities

*Urges government to act swiftly

*Latest incident avoidable had government paid attention to our last statement – JNI

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

“For how long would we continue to remain hopeless in precarious situation such as what was witnessed in Kasuwan Daji and other places within the last 40 days? Be as it may, the JNI is stunned and very much concerned over the unfortunate well-coordinated renewed attacks, outright killings, kidnapping for ransom and school children abductions. Government needs to do more in interrogating the events that culminated to the unfortunate dastardly cum recurring acts.”

The Sultan of Sokoto His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar-led Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to visit Kasuwar Daji-site in Niger State where no fewer than 30 Nigerians were killed en masse, recently, and address the nation to dissuade possible reprisals following the recent killing of residents.

The DEFENDER noted, remarkably, the Sultan’s statement following the massacre massacre of Nigerians was without separating between their religions and races, underscoring his role as truly a leader committed to peace, unity and not division of peoples in diversity that the nation is created to be.

In the statement issued in Kaduna, signed by the JNI Secretary-General, Sheikh (Professor) Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, and copy of which was obtained by The DEFENDER, the organisation condemned the Kasuwar Daji killings and warned that public anger over repeated attacks on vulnerable communities were rising, urging the government to act swiftly.

JNI lamented what it described as the wanton killings and similar violent incidents recorded in Borno, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Sokoto and Zamfara states, calling for serious national introspection, particularly as the 2027 general elections draw closer.

The statement, however, commended the Federal Government, especially the Nigerian Air Force and other arms of the armed forces, for recent airstrikes reportedly carried out against terrorists in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, as well as parts of Kwara and Zamfara states, which reportedly neutralised many insurgents.

According to JNI, the Kasuwar Daji attack could have been prevented if earlier warnings had received adequate attention. It cautioned governors in the North-Central zone to remain on high alert, noting that criminal elements were spreading towards the region.

The group also referenced recent security breaches in other parts of the country, including schoolgirls’ abductions in the North-East and violent attacks in the North-West, urging North-Central states with dense forests to move beyond what it described as “lip service” to security concerns.

JNI stressed that all levels of government, working with security agencies, must adopt proactive measures to curb insecurity before it becomes catastrophic for the country.

The organisation sympathised with the government and people of Niger State over the killing of more than 30 persons in the incident, describing it as gruesome and deeply troubling.

“However, for how long shall innocent, harmless Nigerians continue to suffer cruel and unjustified termination of their lives?” the statement queried, adding that the organisation was alarmed by the frequency and coordination of renewed attacks, killings, kidnappings for ransom and schoolchildren abductions across the country.

JNI said the tempo of military operations against criminal elements should be sustained nationwide, while calling for enhanced territorial airspace surveillance and improved technological control systems to support security operations.

The group urged the Federal Government to ensure prompt identification with victims and affected communities through physical visits, stressing that such gestures, even if delayed, remain important.

“A national broadcast after such a visit would be very necessary to dissuade reprisals,” the statement said, adding that public frustration had reached dangerous levels due to the impact of insecurity on the poor and vulnerable.

JNI further called for the prosecution of officials found negligent in the discharge of their duties, saying this would serve as a deterrent to others. It also urged closer collaboration among security agencies, with clear timelines, to end security threats and mop up small arms and light weapons in the hands of criminals.

Failure to do so, JNI warned, could lead to increased arms proliferation among civilians seeking self-defence.

The organisation also appealed for immediate support for affected communities, noting that many residents had been displaced and were now internally displaced persons in their own communities, with attendant social and humanitarian challenges.

Read the statement, titled “The Kasuwar Daji
bloodbath”, in full:

“Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) under the leadership of His Eminence, Alhaji (Dr.) Muhammad
Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, after careful assessments and follow-ups on the Kasuwar Daji bloodbath, condemns in the strongest terms the mayhem unleashed on innocent citizens at the market.

“The JNI also sympathises with the government and people of Niger state, on the gruesome murder of over 30 innocent people. But for how long shall innocent armless Nigerians continue to suffer cruel and unjustified termination of their lives? To say the least, we have become so much terrified, as the carnage was one incidence too many to bear and times without number the JNI has reacted to such similar incidences in the past through press releases.

“It should be stated that this singular act of Kasuwar Daji, in Borgu LGA of Niger state could have been averted, if due attention was paid to our earlier statement, wherein we stated that “North-Central state Governors should be on the red alert, as criminals are crawling towards the Zone, with North-East having witnessed two of such school girls abductions and North-West with the Maga episode, the North-Central states with mangrove trees and/or thick forests should do more than paying lip services to security matters and; government at all levels in collaboration with different security agencies must rise against the tide of insecurity in whatever guise, through proactive measures and nipping it in the bud, before it becomes cataclysmic for the Nigerian state.”

“This very wanton killing and similar others in Borno, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Sokoto and
Zamfara States calls for serious introspection, especially that the 2027 General Elections is
fast approaching. But for how long would we continue to wait in vain? For how long, shall
we continue to condemn acts of terrorism without any concerted efforts in ending it?

“And for how long would we continue to remain hopeless in precarious situation such as what was witnessed in Kasuwan Daji and other places within the last 40 days? Be as it may, the JNI is stunned and very much concerned over the unfortunate well-coordinated renewed attacks, outright killings, kidnapping for ransom and school children abductions. Government needs to do more in interrogating the events that culminated to the unfortunate dastardly cum recurring acts.

“We nonetheless, commend the federal government, especially the Nigerian Airforce, as well as the armed forces for the airstrikes reportedly carried out targeting the terrorists and killing many of them in Borgu, Niger state, some part of Kwara and Zamfara states recently.

“The tempo should be sustained across board and the need for serious territorial airspace tech cum GPRS control and usage is now more needed than ever and Nigerians are desperately yearning for concrete actions. Thus, we call on the government to:

“1. Always identify promptly with victims and places of attacks by being physically on
ground to commiserate with the people – it is better late than never.

“2. A national broadcast after the visit would be very necessary, to dissuade reprisals.
Clearly, people are angered over many recent happenings affecting the downtrodden and
government needed to act fast.

“3. Prosecute officials that are found wanting in the discharge of their assignment(s), so
as to serve as deterrent to other nonchalant officials.

“4. Collaborate with relevant security agencies with a timeline to bringing an end or at
best truncate all security threats bedeviling the country and also mop small arms and light
weapons (SALWs) in the hands of criminals, or else Nigeria will continue to witness the rise
arms proliferation for self-defense amongst Nigerians since the government failed to do so.

“5. Spare no effort to immediately provide support to all the affected communities, as
many are now displaced, becoming internally displaced persons (IDPs) in their own land,
which further speaks volumes, considering the attendant social nuances often associated with IDP camps.

“While we call on the Muslim Ummah to intensify prayers – seeking Allah’s intervention for an end to these repeated sad pogroms, our heartrending condolences go to the families of all the murdered in the Kasuwan Daji massacre, and all other similar victims in other state of
the federation.

“May Allah, the Most High, console the respective families that loss their loved ones and strengthen them to bear the loss, heal and restore good health to all those that sustained various degrees of injuries. May He also guide aright those in authority to be alive to their
responsibilities. Amin.”