Angry Mob Burn Down Police Station In Niger Over Murder Of Catholic Church Priest

A mob in Kaffin-Koro, Paikoro local government area of Niger State reportedly burnt down a police station on Tuesday in protest against the killing of a Catholic Priest, Rev Father Isaac Achi.

Naija News recalls that the Priest in charge of St. Peters and Paul Catholic Church in the area was gruesomely murdered last weekend when gunmen suspected to be bandits stormed his residence.

Reports had it that Fr. Achi was burnt to death during the attack which happened on Sunday morning.

Many hours after the incident, some youths who were said to be angered by the ‘lackadaisical attitude of the policemen in the area, stormed the police outpost today and set it ablaze.

It was reported that the protesters also burnt some cars and houses as some persons even sustained various degrees of injuries.

Confirming the chaotic situation in the area, the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Services, Emmanuel Bagna Umar, told reporters on Tuesday that though, the state government is pained by the killing of the Priest, nobody has the right to take laws into his or her hand for whatever reason.

The commissioner stated that the state government would not allow any obstruction to law and order as it is doing its best to ensure the security of the lives and property of citizens of the state.

”Since the incident happened on Sunday, you have seen the commitment of government that is why we are calling on communities to support the government in riding the state of bandits and not to take side by vandalizing government property”, Daily Post quoted Umar.

He insisted that violence has no place in the communities. “We understand the times and trend we are leaving in. No man on this land is permitted to take laws into his or her hands. The same way we go after bandits is the same way we will go after whoever takes laws into his or her hands because we have the responsibility to protect the lives of everyone”, the commissioner said.

Umar also added that a security team has already been dispatched to Kaffin-Koro to do an on-the-spot assessment of the situation, especially the youths’ remote cause of the violence outbreak.

Also, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PRO, DSP Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the burning down of the police station in the area by angry youths, saying it was because of the poor response in rescuing the Catholic Priest.

Abiodun said: “They are angry that the police could come on time to rescue the Rev Father and this is because his house is about one kilometre from the police station. Before they could mobilize and get to his place to engage the assailants, they had already run away from the scene, when they saw the police coming”.

He added, “another problem was that there was no water close by to quickly put out the fire when the police got there to save the Priest”.