President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned latest rounds of attacks and killings between bandits and residents in Damkal and Tsanwa villages in Batsari local government area of Katsina state.
Bandits on Friday evening carried out separate attacks on both villages, killing 30, mostly elderly women and children.
In a statement on Sunday, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said President Buhari stated that killing people in the name of revenge is not acceptable.
He warned that no one has the right to take laws into their hands and if local communities catch bandits, they should be handed over to law enforcement authorities.
“No one in the country has a right to take laws into his hands by the way of self-help or revenge. Local communities that catch bandits should hand over the suspects to law enforcement authorities instead of meting out capital punishment, leading to a cycle of revenge and counter revenge.”
President Buhari urged community leaders and the local authorities to continue their efforts in partnership with law enforcement agencies that bring the surrender of bandits, leading to peace between farmers and herders.
“The authorities must be allowed to investigate and deal with any breach that occurs. There is no place for violence in a decent society,” said the President.
He prayed that God will comfort families that have lost loved ones in the attacks and repose the souls of the victims.
