Alleged Murder, Attempted Killing Rock Katsina Community
Residents demand probe, allege official inaction
By KatsinaTimes
Residents of Kurfi Local Government Area of Katsina State have called for a thorough investigation into alleged cases of murder and attempted killing reportedly linked to watchmen employed by a senior government official.
The watchmen, said to be working at the residence and farmland of the Chairman of the Katsina State Housing Authority, Dr. Aliyu Rabi’u Kurfi, have been accused of involvement in an attack on a grain trader and the killing of a commercial motorcyclist.
A grain trader, Muhammadu Ibrahim, told Katsina Times that he narrowly escaped death after he was allegedly lured to a location under the pretext of purchasing groundnuts valued at between ₦450,000 and ₦500,000.
He alleged that a suspect, identified as a watchman, Ibrahim Shu’aibu, demanded upfront payment before showing him the goods.
“He asked me to open the room where the items were kept but insisted I must pay first. When I hesitated, he struck my forehead and snatched my bag containing the money,” Ibrahim said.
The trader said he managed to escape while bleeding and ran towards an Eid prayer ground, where the attacker stopped pursuing him. He was later taken to hospital after reaching home with the assistance of local vigilantes.
Ibrahim added that he reported the incident to the police about two weeks ago but claimed he had yet to receive any feedback.
In a separate incident, a resident, Darda’u Sada Kurfi, alleged that his son, Suleiman, a commercial motorcyclist, was killed after going missing during the Ramadan period.
He said Suleiman was last seen leaving for work and was believed to have been in contact with one of the suspects linked to the attempted killing case.
After days of searching, the matter was reported to the police. The father alleged that during interrogation of a suspect in the attempted murder case, the suspect confessed that Suleiman was killed along with accomplices at a farmland belonging to Dr. Kurfi.
“They killed him, brought his body back into town and buried it within the compound where they worked,” he alleged.
Family members said security personnel later exhumed the body from the premises about 18 days after the incident.
A relative, Malam Sale Sada, said the remains showed signs of severe violence.
“We saw injuries on his head and blood on his face. Parts of his clothing were burnt, suggesting an attempt to destroy evidence,” he said.
Relatives of the victims expressed concern over what they described as silence and lack of progress from authorities.
“No official has contacted us. We do not know the status of the investigation,” Sale said.
They also said that although the victim’s motorcycle was reportedly recovered, it had not been returned, and there was no information on whether any suspects had been arraigned.
Residents also recalled a similar incident about five months ago involving members of a vigilante group allegedly linked to the killing of a youth following a dispute over the distribution of local government assistance, with no known official action taken.
Efforts to obtain comments from Dr. Kurfi were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
Civil society organisations, including the Network for Justice, have called for an independent investigation and prosecution of anyone found culpable.
The incidents have heightened fear among residents, who warn that continued inaction could erode public trust and worsen insecurity in the area.
