Emir Of Kano, Sanusi Visits Mosque After Deadly Attack
The Emir of Kano, Muhammed Sanusi II, on Saturday said
Nigeria’s Muslims will not be intimidated into abandoning
Islam following coordinated bomb and gun attacks on the
city’s central mosque that left at least 120 people dead.
“We will never be intimidated into abandoning our religion,
which is the intention of the attackers,” the emir said during
a 20-minute-visit to the mosque shortly after his return to
the country.
The mosque adjoins his palace in the city. Sanusi was out of
Nigeria on Friday, when the deadly assault on the mosque
occurred.
Last week, the emir — who is the country’s second most
senior Muslim cleric — made a call at the same mosque
urging civilians to take up arms against the Islamist
extremist group Boko Haram.
But during his visit, he implicitly dismissed widespread
speculation that the attack was in retaliation to that call.
“From all indications, they (attackers) have been planning
this for at least two months,” Sanusi said in Hausa, the
dominant language in northern Nigeria.
The emir, who did not give details supporting that assertion,
directed the place be washed and cleaned, an AFP
correspondent at the scene reported.
Pieces of flesh, blood splatters, broken floor tiles,
abandoned footwear and prayer mats littered the mosque
when the emir visited the mosque.
– Blood on mosque’s walls –
Bloodstains were also noticeable at the entrance and on the
walls of the mosque. The bomb blasts had left gaping holes
in the ceiling of the sprawling religious edifice.
“I have directed that the mosque be washed and cleaned
and prayers should continue here,” Sanusi said.
He did comment on the victims of the attack.
Hundreds of residents and faithfuls thronged the outside of
the mosque to catch a glimpse of the scene of the carnage.
Carcasses of dozens of burnt motorcycles and cars as well as
water bottles and hand fans were scattered around the area.
A senior rescue official late Friday gave AFP the preliminary
death toll of 120.
The official also said that at least 270 people were wounded
in the attack, which saw two suicide bombers blow
themselves up and gunmen opened fire during weekly
prayers in Kano, the biggest city in the mainly Muslim north
of the country.
Kano State acting police chief, Sanusi Lemu, told journalists
that three of the attackers were grabbed and killed by the
enraged mob.
He did not give further details.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan vowed Saturday to
hunt down those behind the “heinous” attack.
A statement from his office said he had “directed the
security agencies to launch a full-scale investigation and to
leave no stone unturned until all agents of terror … are
tracked down and brought to justice”.
He urged Nigerians “not to despair in this moment of great
trial in our nation’s history but to remain united to confront
the common enemy,” the statement said.
More than 13,000 people are thought to have died since
Boko Haram began its insurgency in 2009.
Nigeria’s Muslims will not be intimidated into abandoning
Islam following coordinated bomb and gun attacks on the
city’s central mosque that left at least 120 people dead.
“We will never be intimidated into abandoning our religion,
which is the intention of the attackers,” the emir said during
a 20-minute-visit to the mosque shortly after his return to
the country.
The mosque adjoins his palace in the city. Sanusi was out of
Nigeria on Friday, when the deadly assault on the mosque
occurred.
Last week, the emir — who is the country’s second most
senior Muslim cleric — made a call at the same mosque
urging civilians to take up arms against the Islamist
extremist group Boko Haram.
But during his visit, he implicitly dismissed widespread
speculation that the attack was in retaliation to that call.
“From all indications, they (attackers) have been planning
this for at least two months,” Sanusi said in Hausa, the
dominant language in northern Nigeria.
The emir, who did not give details supporting that assertion,
directed the place be washed and cleaned, an AFP
correspondent at the scene reported.
Pieces of flesh, blood splatters, broken floor tiles,
abandoned footwear and prayer mats littered the mosque
when the emir visited the mosque.
– Blood on mosque’s walls –
Bloodstains were also noticeable at the entrance and on the
walls of the mosque. The bomb blasts had left gaping holes
in the ceiling of the sprawling religious edifice.
“I have directed that the mosque be washed and cleaned
and prayers should continue here,” Sanusi said.
He did comment on the victims of the attack.
Hundreds of residents and faithfuls thronged the outside of
the mosque to catch a glimpse of the scene of the carnage.
Carcasses of dozens of burnt motorcycles and cars as well as
water bottles and hand fans were scattered around the area.
A senior rescue official late Friday gave AFP the preliminary
death toll of 120.
The official also said that at least 270 people were wounded
in the attack, which saw two suicide bombers blow
themselves up and gunmen opened fire during weekly
prayers in Kano, the biggest city in the mainly Muslim north
of the country.
Kano State acting police chief, Sanusi Lemu, told journalists
that three of the attackers were grabbed and killed by the
enraged mob.
He did not give further details.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan vowed Saturday to
hunt down those behind the “heinous” attack.
A statement from his office said he had “directed the
security agencies to launch a full-scale investigation and to
leave no stone unturned until all agents of terror … are
tracked down and brought to justice”.
He urged Nigerians “not to despair in this moment of great
trial in our nation’s history but to remain united to confront
the common enemy,” the statement said.
More than 13,000 people are thought to have died since
Boko Haram began its insurgency in 2009.
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