Islamic teacher, 33 others ‘caught looting shops’ as fire razed Katsina market

A 43-year-old Islamic teacher, Muhammadu Abba, was among thirty-four suspects paraded on Wednesday evening at the Katsina police headquarters.

They were arrested for allegedly looting items during the fire incident at the Katsina Central Market on Monday.

Abba’s wife allegedly reported him to the police after he had stuffed the looted items under one of the beds in their house.

The spokesman for the Katsina Police Command, Gambo Isah, said Abba was consequently arrested.

“This man, Muhammadu Abba is an Islamic teacher,” Isah said.

“He teaches pupils in the local Islamiyah school. Yet, that did not stop him from looting items during the fire incident at the central market.

“His wife reported him to the police that he was keeping some looted items under their bed and we arrested him.”

Other suspects arrested for looting were mainly teenagers while the looted items included bales of clothes, household items, and generators, among others.

Isah warned residents that whoever had some of the looted items with them should return such to the police or face the consequences if found out.

“We have intelligence information that some of the looted items are still being kept in some houses in the town,” he said.

“We appeal to whoever has information on places where the looted items are being kept, to report to the police. Whoever we find such looted items with should be ready to face the consequences.”

The police spokesperson added that the thirty-four suspects are to be prosecuted after completion of the investigation.

Katsina Central Market went up in flames on Monday morning, leading to the burning down of no fewer than one thousand shops and the destruction of billions of naira worth of items.