From John Adams, Minna
With barely 24 hours after unidentified gunmen stormed a mosque in Mazakuka community in Mashehu local government area of Niger state, killing 18 people, the District Head of neighboring village, Adogon Malam, Alhaji Saidu Abubakar has been killed by people suspected to be vigilante group from Mazakuka
Also killed along with the District Head in what community source said was a reprisal attack, was his younger brother, Mallam Salihu Abubakar.
The two deceased were killed around 10:00am on Monday, few hours after the initial attack which claimed the lives of 18 worshippers.
Recalled that the state Commissioner of Police Monday Kuryas earlier on Monday while confirming the killing of the 18 people, blame it on what he called reprisal attack from a long standing communal clash but assured that the police had deployed additional personnel to forestall further clashes.
However, according to a source close to the two warring communities, the people of Mazakuka had suspected their neighbors from Adogon community largely dominated by Fulani Herdsmen of being behind the bloody attack which left 18 of their people dead, hence the invasion by those suspected to be vigilantes from Mazakuka.
Our source who pleaded anonymity further disclosed that the district head, Alhaji Saidu Abubakar and his younger brother, Alhaji Salihu Abubakar were accused of been collaborators of the initial attack.
The source added that the vigilantes in their numbers stormed the Adogon Malam around 10:00 am of that same Monday, killed the district head and his brother in cold blood.
The people of Mazakuka, it further gathered, were angered that it was only their people that were targeted during the early morning Mosque massacre, leaving the Fulanis that were in the Mosque at the time of the attack.
Meanwhile it was gathered from Adogon community that the deceased District Head and his brother have been buried according to Islamic injunctions.
The Police is yet to issue a statement on the latest attack as at the time of filing this report.
However all attempts to reach the Public Relation Officer of the police command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun could not yield any result as his mobile phone was going through.