…Says Government abandoned them
By, Ujah Simon, kaduna
The Socio Cultural Organization, the Southern Kaduna People’s Union, (SOKAPU) said three of their natives have been killed, 100 communities sacked and taken over by armed Fulani militia unchallenged by kaduna state. A statement issued and signed by the Union’s spokesman Luka Binniyat also averred that there are 50, 000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) across several comps, with some leaving with their relations as a result of invasion of their communities or unsafe to leave due to armed Fulani militia.
“As at 30th October, 2020 at least 100 communities scattered in 4 LGAs of Southern Kaduna have been displaced and taken over by armed Fulani militia unchallenged by the state even after our repeated publication of this impunity to the government.”
There are at least 50,000 IDPs leaving in several camps in Southern Kaduna and with relations, all because their villages are either too unsafe to return or have been taken over by Fulani militia”, the union lamented.
The statement read in parts: “Government forsaken Adara natives of Kallah ward, Kajuru LGA of Kaduna state, yesterday morning (29th October, 2020) witnessed another tragedy: “Mr Kaduna Garba, 32, father of two children braved it early yesterday morning leaving his IDP camp in Kallah town with his kinsman, Francis Bala, 38.
They headed for their native Magunguna village to see situation of things. Magunguna village forms 18 other Adara communities on the flat, lush, fertile valleys of River Kaduna that have been captured by Fulani militia since May 18th, 2020 after scores were killed and the villages looted and vandalized without any provocation to the attackers.
The two men were ambushed and attacked just before getting to the village by armed Fulani with daggers and machetes and Kaduna Garba was instantly killed while, Francis Bala escaped with fatal injuries. Garba was buried yesterday in Kallah.
“Irmiya Bitrus, 20, from Kwakwa village, in Atyap Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf LGA, is today at a private hospital in Zoknwa nursing grievous injuries sustained from deep machete cuts. His friend, Dachomo Alamba, 20, with whom they were attacked on the outskirt of Kwakwa village around 7:30pm on Monday, 26th October, 2020 by same armed Fulani men, died of his wounds on the spot after the assailants fled. He was buried at Kwakwa last Wednesday. This is coming after Manyi – Mashin village in Atyap chiefdom was razed and two people killed and the entire village sacked into an IDP camp in nearby Apiako village. Not less than 5 Atyap natives have been killed by Fulani armed men and several others injured in Atyap Chiefdom since the Atyap leaders entered into a peace agreement with their long time Fulani and Hausa settlers in August, 2020″, it stated.
SOKAPU stated that last Thursday, “in similar fashion, armed Fulani men attacked two Gbagyi men riding on a bike on the Buruku-Damba-Kasaya road in Kunai ward, Chikun LGA of Kaduna state. Mr. Ezra Nayaro, 45 and father of 7 children was gunned dead while the other passenger escaped into the bush.” Therefore, three natives of Southern Kaduna have been killed by Fulani armed men in the past five days, unprovoked and no one is doing anything about it.
“And more worrisome are Southern Communities that are now fully occupied by armed Fulani militia, some for over a year, and the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai is still in denial that such reprehensible truth doesn’t exist. But SOKAPU can prove that the villages bellow are now captured and occupied in Southern Kaduna communities by armed Fulani militia” it stated. According to SOKAPU, 99 communities were displaced in Kachia, kajuru and Chikun local government Areas of the southern part of the state.
“As at 30th October, 2020 at least 100 communities scattered in 4 LGAs of Southern Kaduna have been displaced and taken over by armed Fulani militia unchallenged by the state even after our repeated publication of this impunity to the government.
There are at least 50,000 IDPs leaving in several camps in Southern Kaduna and with relations, all because their villages are either too unsafe to return or have been taken over by Fulani militia. “We are therefore calling on the International Community, Human Rights Organizations men and women of honor and conscience to help bear pressure on both Kaduna State Government and the Federal Government to restore these people back to their homes”, it stated.
