view the pictures
The village head, popularly known among the locals as Maigari, was reportedly murdered in an attack that has kept the villagers in shock. The daredevil gunmen were said to have arrived the community riding motorcycles that night. They found their way to the traditional ruler’s residence in the centre of the town, where they hacked him to death.
It was gathered that the men, numbering over six and armed, stormed the sleepy community around 1am on Monday, where they headed straight to the residence of their victim.
An eyewitness told LEADERSHIP Friday that the armed men scaled the fence of their victim’s residence “and forcefully entered his room after firing some shots on the door.”
The source said the armed men identified themselves as thieves to their victims but declined to accept an offer of three hundred thousand naira (N300,000) made to them by the village head even as they never took anything from the house.
They reportedly shot the village head thrice and after being fully aware that he was dead, fled the community.
The late Birchi, who was gruesomely murdered at the ripe age of 82, was until his unfortunate death the oldest village head in Kurfi district.
Narrating the incident to LEADERSHIP Friday, a family member of the village head, Munkailu Kabir (not real name) said the gunmen first met one of the traditional ruler’s three wives when they stormed the house.
“They scaled the fence and the first person they met was Hajiya and they asked her to show them where the Maigari was. But of course she told them that he was not at home. However, one of them just told Hajiya not to worry because they know the location of his room.”
“Of course, they went to where his room was located and insisted that he opened the door for them which he did. When they saw him, they told him that they were thieves so he told them to calm down that he has money to give them. He took N300, 000 to them but they went ahead to shoot him thrice.”
“After killing him and haven satisfied themselves that he was dead, they still went ahead and hacked him before leaving the house. We think they were sent to kill him because after killing him, they took nothing from the house,” he added.
Indeed, like the time-tested biblical saying which stressed that the thief came just to steal and to destroy, the gunmen struck at Birchi village at the wee hours and embarked on destruction, the magnitude of which is colossal for the residents.
Expectedly, the community, which appears to have been badly hit by the incident, has continued to wear what could best be described as a gloomy look as the aura of mourning permeates the air with virtually all the residents moving and acting in an emotion packed manner.
When LEADERSHIP Friday visited the sleepy community which is located along Kurfi-Dutsinma road, residents were seen in clusters discussing the circumstances surrounding the murder with most of them invoking the wrath of almighty Allah on those behind the dastardly act.
Residents said the murder of the octogenarian village head is the peak of the continuous threat to the security of lives and especially properties which have been the bane of the area as cattle rustling assumed different and indeed more worrisome dimensions, especially in neighbouring and adjoining villages.
It was shocking to find out that despite being a relatively large village, Birchi cannot boast of a Police station or worst, a police outpost, a scenario which suggests that the community is vulnerable to crimes as there is no security outfit to help combat crime.
Quite worrisome is the fact that the murder of the village head of Birchi is coming after a similar incident also occurred in Kankara town where suspected gunmen attacked the residence of Adamu Koshie and his in-law, murdering the two in cold blood.
Koshie was the leader of a local vigilante group believed to be rightly making life unbearable for all known cattle rustlers and other criminals who had been making life unbearable for innocent and law-abiding citizens.
As should be expected, stakeholders have continued to express their views on the murder and the general threat to security of lives and properties in the State.
A social commentator, Armayau Baba Tama told LEADERSHIP FrIday that the incident and indeed similar acts of crime committed across the State were gradually assuming a worrisome dimension and noted that the time to intensify efforts was long overdue.
“If people can freely walk into the residence of a traditional ruler and brutally kill him as these unknown bandits did; if some criminals can storm a community and murder whoever they have a grouse with, steal and rape, as has been the case in some areas in the State, then there can be no better time for all of us to undertake stringent security measures” Tama enthused.
But then, even as the mourning, wailing and weeping over the murder of the village head continues, the police said it has commenced investigations just as it confirmed that arrests have been made.
As at the time of filing this report, the spokesman of Katsina State police command, DSP Abubakar Sadik said the command had made some arrests in connection with the murder but could not say how many people were arrested as according to him, investigation had just begun.
…Family, Residents React
But then of course, the family members of the deceased and indeed residents of Birchi community have continued to bare their minds on the incident and its overall implications for security in the area.
Adamu Kutawa, 78, is the only surviving brother of the late traditional ruler. He told LEADERSHIP Friday that the incident was a rude shock, not only to the immediate family but the community as a whole.
“We were taken aback as the news came to us. We were shocked. The whole scenario reminds us of how vulnerable we all are and it just goes to suggest that we need to take concrete measures in addressing the lingering security challenges”
He noted that although incidences of cattle rustling was rife in the area where, according to him, cattle owners from Tashar Barau, Fararu, Ajiwa, Yarrumfa Koza and other neighbouring villages had been forced to part with their belongings by cattle rustlers. “We are appealing to all the security agencies and importantly, the Government to put machineries in place to address the rising wave of criminal activities in Birchi and its neighbouring villages.”
Also speaking, the eldest son of the deceased, Alhaji Ibrahim Charanchi said the family believed the armed men are hired killers “sent to snuff the life out of our father because, if they were thieves, they would have accepted the money he offered them.”
Ibrahim, who spoke in an emotion-laden voice, said as Muslims, the family viewed the incident as sanctioned by almighty Allah but prayed that God visits his wrath on those behind the dastardly act.
Stay Updated And Connected With sofogist.Com Daily.. 
