BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has again condemned the pattern of justice under the government of Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State for taking side with a particular ethnic group against the real victims of attacks in Southern Kaduna.
SOKAPU particularly took exception to the arrest, torture, dehumanization and detention of 15 Atyap community leaders in Atyap Chiefdom of Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State for 17days without trial whatsoever.
The SOKAPU said that the allegations against the arrested leaders based on briefs by their lawyers, is that “they conspired, maimed and killed 75 cows,” adding that the figure that later changed to 300 cows belonging to Fulani even as the dead cows cannot be seen or shown anywhere.
It said that in spite of their having denied any knowledge to such a crime and any other trumped-up charges, they have been denied bail, stressing that even at that, the offence of killing cows cannot be equated to homicide, thus it is bailable while investigations goes on.
In the words of SOKAPU; “But the Kaduna State Police Command, with Governor Nasir el-Rufai as the Chief-Security-Officer of the state, would not allow these men get bail”.
It further said; “In the past nine months, the Atyap ethnic nationality, which is one of the biggest block of the 65 ethnic groups that form SOKAPU, has suffered severe destruction in property and has lost over 100 lives in the hands of killers that surviving victims clearly defined as armed Fulani militia, some of them known faces that had lived in their communities before suddenly moving out..
“Just last week (11th April, 2021), Wawarafi was attacked by Fulani militia and the following people were killed: Dauda Joshua, 54; Francis Ayuba 30 including children – Philip Dauda, 8 and Florence Denis, 3. Part of the village was completely razed after it was looted.
“Not a single Fulani person or leader has been called for questioning. There is no month since July 2020 that an Atyap Community is not under the invasion of armed Fulani militia.
“The Atyap traditional leadership has made several overtures to the Hausa and Fulani settlers on its land for the violence to stop. This is a gesture that even Governor el-Rufai acknowledges.
“But how comes that no Fulani or Hausa leader in Atyap land has never been called for interrogation only for Atyap leaders to be rounded up and locked up over allegations of involvement in the death of cattle?” SOKAPU asked.
The Union also said that it has reported that Fulani cattle have destroyed food crops on hundreds of hectares of Atyap farmlands, but the authorities just turned a blind eye to it.
SOKAPU therefore said that if anyone deserves justice and compensation in the violence that came over Atyap land, like in other parts of Southern Kaduna, it is the Atyap people.
SOKAPU further said that the arrested and detained community leaders amongst who is a very sick 85years old, four village heads and youth leaders were tricked to a meeting by military officers of the Operation Safe Haven on March 31, 2021, at the Headquarters of Operation Safe Haven, close to Kafanchan, Jemaa Local Government Area, adding that after spending four agonising days of torture in the hands of the military, they were transferred to the Kafanchan Police Area Command where they suffered another brutal detention in the hands of the police from April 3 to 9, 2021, but were never arraigned before any court of law.
SOKAPU in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Luka Binniyat said that the Atyap community leaders honoured the invitation of the military with the believe that a way forward to the incessant invasions and killingsand arson in their communities would be found, but unfortunately turned otherwise.
It said that the Atyap leaders were later transferred to Kaduna State Police Force Headquarters, where they are presently being held at the Kabala West Police Station, Kaduna, as tension continues to swell in Atyap land over the sufferings they are being subjected to.
The SOKAP statement further states; “These men, who are now forcefully kept under unhygienic and inhuman conditions, have amongst them elderly persons that are sick and infirmed.
SOKAPU listed the names of the detained Atyap community leaders to include; Atyoli Ishaya Achi (Dakachin Zonzon Community); Atyoli Joseph Bitrus (Secretary to Dakachin Wawarafi); Atyoli Bitrus Adamu (Village Head of Ma’wakili); Atyoli Samaila Kazah (Village Head of Unguwan Tabo).
Others are; elder Waje Laah (85 years and very ill) of Mabuhu village; Atyoli Ayuba Dodo (Dakachin Mashan 1) and Peter Katung, a youth leader.
SOKAPU noted that Governor Nasir el-Rufai in June, 2020, imposed a 24 hour curfew over Atyap land after the killing of a Christian youths outside Zangon Urban town led to mass peaceful protest that turned violent after soldiers fired live bullets into the crowd, killing one person and injuring 9 Unguwan Wakili, near Zangon Kataf town.
It further said; “Under that 24 hour rigidly enforced curfew, which was to last for over three months, Fulani militia who are usually exempted from it because of their nomadic way of living, took full advantage of it.
“On the 10th July, 2020, Chibob village was attacked and the town razed to the ground after 9 persons were killed. The next day, Kigudu came under the fire of armed Fulani militia and 10 women, an elderly man and a baby were burnt alive. The village was looted dry.
“The same cruelty continued on the 7th August, 2020. In a well-coordinated attack that night, Apiako was invaded leaving 7 persons killed; Ataka mawai was also attacked and 10 persons were murdered.
“Kibori came under siege and 7 Atyap persons were brutally killed and the town burnt to the ground. They also attacked Magamiya village and killed 4 persons. These are just a few of the killings that the Atyap have suffered in the hands of armed herdsmen, some of them known to the villagers,” it stressed.
SOKAPU expressed surprised that in spite of all the invasions, arson and killings in Atyap communities, it has never heard that an Ardo or Fulani leader in Atyap land has ever been questioned.
According to SOKAPU; “In 2017, the respectable and revered traditional ruler of the Kurama nation in Kauru LGA in Southern Kaduna, B’gwan Kurmi, Dr. Ishaku Sabo Damina was arrested like a common criminal and slammed in Kaduna prisons where he stayed for weeks before his released on bail. His offence was that he handed over a Fulani man suspected to be a notorious kidnapper in his domain, to the military and the man later died under unclear circumstances.
“In February 2019, while Adara land was suffering its worst invasions and killings in the hands of Fulani militia, 9 Adara leaders, including the Wazirin Adara, (who the Adara regard as their interim traditional leader) Eng Bawa Magaji, Awemi Dio Maisamari, the National President of the Adara Development Association (ADA ), including a retired Commissioner of police, Sani Magaji and six other respectable Adara leaders, were arrested and clamped in jail in Kaduna prisons for alleged involvement in the violence against their own communities.
“After 120 days in prison, the police said that investigations found nothing that implicated them in the tragedy that was eating up their land.
“SOKAPU has to make the above references for the world to see the kind of two societies that have evolved in Kaduna state under the watch of Governor el-Rufai; One in which the victims are dragged for punishment and the other where the alleged perpetrators are protected, pampered and are unrepentant.
SOKAPU stressed that while it does not in any way support lawlessness in any form, it however take exception when the law is only directed at the victims
It therefore called for the immediate release of the Atyap community leaders by granting them bail or charged to Court so that they can apply for bail to ease off the tension building up in the land and among its neighbors. SOKAPU equally appealed to Atyap youths and those of their neighbours to remain calm, obey the law while keeping vigilant over their communities.
