Human rights and civil society organisations have waded into the unfortunate incident of the alleged killing of 9-year-old Muhammad Jawwad Yusuf by police operatives in Katsina to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book.
Chairman of the coalition of civil society organisations in Katsina, AbdulRahman Abdullahi and Barr. Ibrahim Bello of the human rights office in Katsina, along with other members of the CSOs who visited the affected family, vowed to follow the case to its logical conclusion.
They threatened to take legal action against those behind the unfortunate killing if the authorities concerned failed to ensure justice is done.
The deceased and three other victims currently receiving medical attention were hit by stray bullets allegedly fired by police operatives while dispersing a crowd at Sabuwar unguwa quarters in the Katsina metropolis.
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The sad incident was allegedly carried out by police officers suspected to be from the Sabon Gari Divisional Police Office on Sunday.
Accounts differ between the police and residents of the area as to the exact cause of the ugly incident.
Residents told members of the press that the police officers invaded a wedding party where a disk jockey (DJ) was reeling out music as the families and friends of the bride and groom danced in celebration.
A resident of Sabuwar Unguwa, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said “The youngman who lost a finger in the incident is not in any way troublesome, he was not even part of the event, but hit by a stray bullet. But he tried to show the policeman what happened to his finger, he threatened to shoot him again “.
The father of the deceased, Yusuf Ahmed-Rufai, told journalists in Katsina that his son was killed while returning from an Islamiyya school in the evening.
However, the police said that the incident happened when their operatives were acting based on a distress call but they came under attack by a group of Kauraye at Sabuwar Unguwa quarters in Katsina.
A press statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Gambo Isah, added that the Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Shehu Umar Nadada, had commiserated with parents of the deceased and injured victims.
“He also sent a delegation under the leadership of Area Commander, Metro, ACP Yahuza Samaila Shall, to condole the family and assure them that the Command is carrying out a full scale investigation on the matter,” he said.
