The Kano State Police Command has arrested two suspects in connection with the killing of popular political commentator, Ibrahim Khalil Danshagamu, in the Gaida area of Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state.
Danshagamu was reportedly attacked with sharp objects after suspected assailants allegedly broke into his residence on Monday night.
The command said it received a distress call from the commander of the Gaida Vigilante Group at about 11:30pm, reporting that unknown hoodlums had forcibly entered the victim’s home and attacked him.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the command’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, the police said officers from the Kumbotso Divisional Police Headquarters immediately responded to the incident.
The victim was taken to the Murtala Mohammed Specialists Hospital in Kano, where a medical doctor reportedly confirmed him dead on arrival.
The arrest of the two suspects, according to the police, followed an intelligence-led operation carried out by the Kumbotso Divisional Police Officer in collaboration with tactical units and community stakeholders.
The suspects are currently being interrogated, while the command said efforts were ongoing to identify and arrest other persons who may have participated in the killing.
The police added that statements were being obtained from relevant individuals and forensic procedures were underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack and establish its motive.
The killing had earlier drawn condemnation from opposition figures and rights advocates, who called for a thorough investigation.
Former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, said Danshagamu was found in a pool of blood at his residence and described the incident as a horrific attack.
Kwankwaso urged the Kano State Government to set up an investigative panel to uncover the circumstances surrounding the death and ensure that those responsible were brought to justice.
Amnesty International Nigeria also condemned the killing, stressing that critics and outspoken citizens should be protected in a democratic society.
The Kano State Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Husaini Mai Riga, described the incident as disturbing and unacceptable, saying it raised concerns about public safety, press freedom and democratic values in the state.
The Commissioner of Police expressed sympathy to the deceased’s family and assured residents that the command would pursue the case to its logical conclusion.
The police commended the Gaida Vigilante Group for promptly alerting the authorities and urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist the investigation.
Kiyawa said the suspects would be charged to court after the completion of the investigation, while additional patrols and intelligence-gathering operations had been deployed in Gaida and neighbouring communities to prevent further security breaches.