Fresh Attacks in Kaduna, 123 people killed

By John Shikla 

Barely 24 hours after gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen killed 38 people in Kabamu and Ankpong villages in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, another 123 people yesterday fell to rampaging gunmen in seven villages in the same local government area.

The affected villages according Mr. Christopher chisom, a vigilante leader in Gwantu, include Kobin, Dogon-Daji, Naidu,  Kabamu, Hayin -Kwanta, Kabani and  Gani.

Chisom, who spoke in an interview said:  “38 were killed in Kobin, 21 in Dogon- Daji, 16 in Naidu, 30 in Kabamu, five in Hayin Kwanta,  four  in Kabani and  nine in Gani.”

There was however no official confirmation on the figures as all efforts to get reactions from the state police command was unsuccessful.  A 24-hour curfew had been imposed in the area by the local government Chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Adamau.

Sources in the area told THISDAY that the attacks were well planned and were targeted at remote rural communities which were difficult to access by security personnel.

THISDAY learnt that the Tuesday’s attacks on the villages started at about 4p.m. and lasted into the night as security personnel deployed to the area could not access many of the areas.

The invaders were said to be armed with AK47 rifles and followed bush paths leading to the villages, attacking rural communities from across the local government  area simultaneously.
Many of the villagers were said to have fled their homes to Gwantu, the headquarters of Sanga local government area for safety for fear of being attacked.

A councillor representing Gwantu ward, Hon. Shehu Ajetu, said hundreds of the villagers had relocated to the town and were at two refugee camps in Gwantu.

  “At present, we cannot give a definite number of people killed because in some of the villages that were attacked,  it is difficult to bring out corpses  to Gwantu, as some were killed when they were running into the bush.

“In Kobin village alone, I understand that 38 people were killed. We believe that the figure of death is more than this because a lot of people are still missing in Kobin.

“Hundreds of people from the villages have relocated to Gwantu and are staying in refugees camps. The refugee camps are at the Gwantu Primary School and the Divisional police station,” the councillor said.

He added that although the situation had been brought under control, there was mass exodus of rural communities as people who are scared of the unknown are trooping to  Gwantu for safety.

According to him, “Soldiers and police were deployed to  control the situation, unfortunately because the rural communities are not easily accessible, it was difficult for the security agents to stop the killings.

“The Fulani were well armed with AK 47 rifles, the villagers were very helpless. They don’t have anything to defend themselves apart from sticks and machetes.

“The Fulanis will invade a village and within five minutes, they would cause massive  destruction, that is why people in the villages had to run out to the Gwantu, the local government area headquarters.

“It was a well planned attack because they invaded the communities at the same time. They were spread across the local government area and that even made it more difficult for the communities to give each other a helping hand.

“Before this attack, all the Fulanis had asked their people in Sanga local government  area to leave the area. All their people left before they came for the attack. It was a well planned attack. Some months ago, there was an issue concerning the Fulanis and the Numana chiefdom which was being investigated by the security agents. There was an incident that happened and the Fulani notified all their people to leave Sanga local government. So all the Fulanis that have cows left Sanga.

“They even gave a notice that they will strike, but nobody knew when they would strike. We were thinking that they will strike in the area where they had problem, so everybody was taken by surprised when they decided to attack many communities,” he said.

Meanwhile the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the killings.
Secretary of the association, Rev. Sunday Ibrahim, at a press conference in Kaduna yesterday, said he was sad that people were being slaughtered like animals, and called on the state government and the security agencies to do everything possible to ensure the safety of lives and property of the citizenry.

“I call on the state government and security agencies to intensify security on our vulnerable communities, I want to urge our people to stay calm and not take the law into their hands,” he said.

The state government in a statement yesterday assured that adequate security personnel including the army and police had been deployed  to the areas for  effective enforcement of law and order.

The statement which was signed by the Director General, Media and Publicity to Governor Mukhtar Yero, Mallam Ahmed Maiyaki, said “security surveillance has also been further intensified in all the surrounding communities. Governor Yero has directed for full investigation into the remote  cause of the unfortunate incident. And appeal for calm and tolerance among the people of the communities.