* As casualties of terror attack on Katsina mosque rise to 27
Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, has described killers of innocent Muslims observing the fajr (morning) prayer in Unguwan Mantau community of Katsina State as heartless, malevolent, and worse than animals.
Pantami, who is also the Majidadin Daular Usmaniyya, called on security agencies to ensure the arrest of the criminals and bring an end to the inhumanity.
In a post published on his official social media handles on Wednesday, the former Minister said killers of the innocent worshippers deserve no mercy, adding that those who kill innocent people, irrespective of their religion or tribe, betray the essence of humanity.
Muslim News had earlier reported that no fewer than 13 worshippers were killed in the deadly attack that occurred during the early morning (Fajr) prayers on Tuesday when gunmen stormed the mosque and opened fire on worshippers.
The death toll has risen to 27 with several others wounded, based on the accounts of a village head and hospital official who spoke to Al Jazeera English.
Former Minister Pantami extended heartfelt condolences to the immediate families of the victims and the entire community of Unguwan Mantau in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State.
“These people were killed while praying the most difficult congregation prayer to the hypocrites,” he said.
He quoted Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: No prayer is heavier upon the hypocrites than the Fajr (morning) and the `Isha (late evening) prayer and if they knew what is in them in reward, they would have attended them, even if (it was) crawling… (Bukhari reported it, hadith number 657).
“The reason why Fajr (morning) prayer is mentioned here is because of the hardship that it entails, and performing it on time and congregationally is a sign of a man’s sincerity and faith,” Pantami added.
While calling on security agencies to go after the killers, the Co-Chairman of the African Union’s 4th Industrial Revolution Policy Council (ASRIC) suggested that they could adopt geospatial analysis using location data from phones to track the phones in the environment at the time the crime was committed.
“This can be done using cell tower data and GPS data, as I have been recommending for 6 years, privately and otherwise,” he noted.
Pantami prayed Allah to accept the departed souls as martyrs, give their families and relatives the fortitude to bear the loss, humiliate the criminals, and establish absolute peace in Nigeria.
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