The speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has emphasized that the 10th National Assembly is actively implementing measures to proactively curb and prevent any potential resurgence.
He also said that efforts were being made to establish another military base in Zaria to assist in curbing the recent spate of attacks in the area.
Abbas addressed the gathering on Friday as he led a delegation of House members on a condolence visit to the Emir of Zazzau, His Royal Highness, Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli.
The visit was in response to the tragic incident that occurred last Friday, where parts of the Zaria Central Mosque collapsed during the Asr prayer, resulting in the loss of several lives and causing injuries to numerous individuals.
He also expressed condolences for the recent bandit attack in the Kofar Gayan area of Zaria on Saturday, which led to the unfortunate loss of two lives.
Speaking in Hausa language, the speaker expressed sadness over the unfortunate incidents as he made reassurance to the leadership and the residents of the Zazzau Emirate, affirming that the House has implemented measures to prevent any future recurrence of such incidents, both within the affected regions and across Nigeria.
He assured the Emir that the military would establish a formation around some flashpoints to forestall future attacks on communities in Zaria and its environs.
He said,
“We have come to condole with His Royal Highness over what happened last week. We are here on behalf of the House of Representatives and the Senate to condole with the Zaria people, the Zaria Emirate and the entire people of Kaduna State.
“I want to assure you that based on the way banditry wants to return, we in the House have taken some measures. We have started engaging the military, and they will come and establish a formation around the female school at the Kofar Gayan axis. They have assured us that they would do that.
“I also want to assure you that as a son of the land and one of the kingmakers in this palace, I am ready to contribute to the rebuilding of the mosque. When it’s time for the work, let me know so that I’ll contribute my quota to the rebuilding. We thank you for giving us this opportunity to come and condole with you.”
The speaker was accompanied by principal officers and members of the House including the minority leader, Kingsley Chinda; deputy minority leader, Ali Isa, among others, who also made generous donations, both individually and collectively, toward the reconstruction of the Zaria Central Mosque.
Responding, the Emir of Zazzau, His Royal Highness, Amb. Ahmad Nuhu Bamali, expressed gratitude to the speaker and his entourage for the condolence visit.
He said the people of the Zazzau Emirate were thrown into grief due to the collapsed mosque and the bandits’ attack.
The Emir said,
“We are glad for your condolence visit. We thank you for finding out time to come here. Today is exactly seven days since the unfortunate incident occurred. We are hopeful that those who lost their lives are in Jannatul Firdaus.
“First, they attended the Jumma’at prayer, and during the Asr prayer, the unfortunate incident happened.
“Secondly, they died on a Friday, and we all know what that means in Islam. Again, they were in the middle of prayer, and it was Asr prayer. So, their death was significant. We pray that Allah grants them Jannatul Firdaus.”
Expressing gratitude for the donations by lawmakers, the Emir assured the delegation the funds would be channelled toward reconstructing the damaged mosque built in 1835.
