The Kano State Police Command has confirmed that one person was killed while three others sustained injuries after a man allegedly opened fire during a marriage ceremony, popularly known as a “DJ” event. The incident occurred at Tudun Yola on August 16, according to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna-Kiyawa.
The police have arrested a 34-year-old man, Rabiu Mukhtar, in connection with the alleged offence. The suspect allegedly used a pump-action gun to shoot four people who sustained injuries. The police recovered the gun from the suspect’s possession. The victims were rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano, for medical treatment. The victims were identified as Sadiq Abubakar, Umar Rabiu, Muhammad Sadisu and Aliyu Mustapha. One of the victims, Aliyu Mustapha, later died in the hospital, while the remaining three are responding to treatment.
The PPRO further revealed that Mukhtar and one other person were apprehended and taken into custody for investigation at the Command Headquarters, Bompai, Kano. Preliminary information indicated that the incident was triggered by the playing of music that some people did not like. The suspect told the police he opened fire after he heard that thugs, ‘Yan daba, were coming to the venue. The suspects will be prosecuted after completion of investigation.
A marriage ceremony, a celebration of joy and union, descended into violence and death over a disagreement about music. The suspect’s claim that he was acting in self-defence against thugs raises questions about the security situation in the area. The presence of a pump-action gun at a social gathering is a reminder of the proliferation of weapons in Nigeria.
This echoes the 2022 Kano music ban controversy, which also saw violence erupt over musical performances. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a celebration turned deadly over a cultural dispute.
The winners: the police, who have made an arrest. The losers: the family of the deceased; the three injured victims; and the community, which has been shaken by the violence.
Bottom Line: A man is dead, three are injured, and a celebration has been shattered. The question is whether the suspect’s claim of self-defence will hold up in court or whether this was a senseless act of violence.