The Kano commander of Shia movement in Nigeria, Sheik Muhammad Mahmud Turi Friday confirmed that 21 members of the sect lost their lives while 45 others were injured when a suicide bomber struck the procession at Dakasoye village near Kano.
Sheik Turi told reporters that the incident occurred at about 2.00pm shortly after a suicide bomber was caught in the procession by the sect’s vigilante group and he confirmed that another bomber was in the midst of the procession.
Turi explained that the loose suicide bomber detonated his bomb at the point of being captured alive by the search team.
The revered religious leader said that the tragic incident would not deter the group from carrying on with the journey to Zaria, adding that ‘you don’t display cowardice or be cowed by death threat when carrying out religious obligations.
“Today Friday, 21 members have been elevated to matyrdom and they would be accepted by Allah to the bliss of Janatul Firdausi”.
Turi revealed that the captured suicide bomber said that he was from Mubi and was abducted by the Boko Haram sect and taken to Sambisa forest where he was exposed to the training on the art of suicide bombing.
The religious leader said that the suicide bomber further revealed that he was ferried to Kano alongside others and quartered at Gwamaja area of Kano metropolis before they were deployed to carry out the heinous act.
But the Kano Police Commissioner Muhammad Musa Katsina, who stormed the scene with his men, had a running battle with the sect that bluntly refused to hands off the suspected bomber.
The sect through one of their local leaders told the Commissioner that they would only play ball if their supreme leader, El Zakky Zakky directed otherwise.
Speaking further on the tragic incident, a local journalist, Ali Kakaki who was at the scene of the blast said women, children and a number of youngsters were worst hit by the blast.
-Vanguard