Death toll from Nigeria mosque killing rises to 24

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Some 24 people, mostly Muslim worshipers, were killed and many others injured on Sunday when gunmen attacked the village of Dogon Dawa in Nigeria's northern Kaduna state, the local media reported Monday, quoting the police.

State Police Commissioner Olufemi Adenaike was quoted as saying at a press briefing in the state capital, Kaduna, Sunday evening that it was a revenge attack, rather than the handiwork of terrorists.

''On the same Sunday morning at about 5:30 a.m.(local time) a suspected gang of armed bandits numbering about ten stormed Dogon Dawa village killing 24 persons.

''Information had it that few of the victims were coming back from their morning prayers, while the rest were attacked in their various houses,” he said.

On the motive for the attack, Mr. Adenaike said: ''Investigations reveal that on 13/10/ 2012 at about 12 hours, some members of a vigilante group from Dogon Dawa village went to Kuyello village, a distance of about 35 km,and arrested four persons suspected to be members of a notorious gang terrorising their areas and took them (four suspects) to Dogon Dawa village for questioning.

''Following the arrest, some unidentified armed gang in Kuyello village mobilised in their large number and stormed Dogon Dawa in the early hours of Sunday in a bid to rescue the four persons arrested.

''The gang descended on innocent members of the village, killing a total of 22 persons. The gang succeeded in rescuing two out of the four persons arrested by the Vigilante group while the other two whom the attackers could not rescue were killed on the spot by
the same assailants.”

No arrest has been made over the killing.
-0- PANA SEG 15Oct2012