Again! 33 Killed In Southern Kaduna Fresh Attacks
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – An early hours deadly attacks on Thursday by Fulani militia has left 33 people Atyap natives of Southern Kaduna dead.
Curiously, the 33 dead persons were among hundreds of thousands of already starving indigenes of Southern Kaduna that have been locked up under a 24 hours rigidly imposed curfew that entered its 65th day on Wednesday.
This is as the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) said that Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State has deliberately tied up the citizens of the law abiding people of the area under an irrational, protracted curfew which is obviously intended to cause maximum harm to the communities.
The five villages under Atyap chiefdom in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna came under the attacks by Fulani militia include Apiashyim, Kibori, Apiako, Atakmawei and Magamiya.
These were contained in a statement by SOKAPU which noted that prior to now, the villages were all shutdown with fierce armed military men patrolling and enforcing the 24 hours curfew.
SOKAPU however said that when the gunmen struck, the military men were not found on ground.
The statement signed by SOKAPU’s spokesman, Mr Luka Binniyat said that four Atyap youths from Majuju and Kibori villages who went to farm under the curfew were arrested by soldiers after being thoroughly beaten and handed over to the Police who whisked them to SCID, Kaduna.
The statement further said; “the four youths have been denied bail since June 26, 2020. These is the trend of brutality that have forced our people indoors for nearly two months today. But Fulani herders have been wondering freely and grazing over large swaths of maize farms of our locked up farmers.
“Last night, around 11pm, trucks loads of armed Fulani militia made their way through military check points under the curfew and stormed Apiashyim and Kibori villages.
“They lay siege to Apyaishyim killing, looting and burning houses. In the wake of the cruelty, they left six people dead, and 20 houses burnt.
“In nearby Kibori village, 7 persons were killed by the marauding, pampered Fulani militia.
“Around 12am, they struck Atakmawei sleeping community and carried out another carnage after which 12 persons were killed and ten houses burnt.
“They also went to Apyiako and killed 3 person, and burnt homes, including the home of late Col. Bobai Ishaku among others. At the same time, Magamiya village was also attacked and 5 people killed and seven houses burnt. The attacker operated between 11pm and 4am this morning before they left unchallenged.
“According to survivors, the Fulani militia included Fulani youths born and raised in the affected villages. They would come to a compound and shout out the name of the occupants challenging them to come out and face them.
“In Apiako, scared villagers who hid under grown maize crops said they saw what looked like an armored military truck pulled up at the village square followed by familiar military motor bikes while the attackers were busy killing, but never made any attempt to stop them.
SOKAPU said that it is inundated by daily cries for food, medicine and money, with rising cases of child malnutrition and kwashiorkor as parents cannot go out and look for food for their starving children.
According to SOKAPU; “The sick are trapped at home. No one wants to risk the brutality of the military that are enforcing the curfew. Even if the curfew is lifted, freely grazing cattle herded by armed Fulani men have eaten up and trampled over thousands of hectares of grain farms, yam farms, sugar cane crops among others. This portends obvious hunger and increased poverty for our communities this year and the next”.
SOKAPU therefore appealed to the international community, men and women of conscience all over the world to come to the aide of the victims as there is what looks like a government sponsored genocide against Southern Kaduna Communities.
