JUST IN: Gunmen Kill 33, Burnt Houses, Churches In Southern Kaduna On Monday Night – SOKAPU  

…Says, it’s an ongoing genocide

BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has raised fresh alarm over what it described as genocide taking place in the area for consecutive six days running.

SOKAPU said that for the past one week, armed men identified as Fulani herdsmen by victims, lay siege to several communities in Atyap land, Zangon Kataf Local Government Area (LGA) of Southern Kaduna leaving no less than 33 people dead.

SOKAPU, while condemning what it described as the “wicked act”, expressed serious concern over what it noted as “complicit silence and inaction” of the Kaduna State government led by Governor Ahmed Nasir El-Rufai and its refusal to take steps to bring the perpetrators and their leaders to justice.

It said that from every indication, the ongoing genocide is targeted at land grabbing as 108 Southern Kaduna communities have been displaced and taken over by the Fulani herdsmen since 2019.

SOKAPU in a statement on Tuesday, said that In the latest orgy of bloodshed, the invaders stormed Magamiya village on Monday night at about 11:00pm and started shooting and attacked the family compound of the traditional ruler of Atyap Chiefdom, Agwatyap of Atyap Chiefdom, Sir Dominic Yahaya.

The statement which was signed by the National Publicity Secretary of SOKAPU, Mr Luka Binniyat, also stated that several blocks of flats and rooms that make up the family compound of five households were looted of valuables and foodstuffs which were carted into four waiting Hilux vans.

The statement further said; “The houses were then set ablaze. A relation of the revered traditional ruler, Mr. Toma Tauna, 70, was killed by the assailants.

“They went further to loot six more homes which they also burnt leaving Mathew Pama, 62, dead in the same village.

“After putting in about two hours of unchallenged murder, looting and arson, the armed herdsmen attempted to burn down St. Pius Catholic Church in the village, but help came from other villages and attackers retreated in the Hilux vans for another village.

“Magamiya is about three kilometers from Zangon Kataf, a semi-urban town where a combined troops of soldiers and other security agencies are camped complete with patrol vehicles and armoured tanks.

“The same assailants returned and passed besides Zango Kataf town and drove five kilometers West of the town and attacked three other villages at about 1:30am on Tuesday morning.

“In the attacks, Matyei made up of 156 houses were all burnt. The Catholic Church in Matyei and its pastorium was burnt. The Catchiest, simply known as Catchiest Yau, and an infant were killed in the attack. In all, 8 persons were killed last night in Matyei in a violence that lasted for over an hour.

“The armed Fulani herdsmen then went down to Abuyab Community about 500 metres away and burnt down ECWA Church Abuyab and the home of former ECOMOG Field Commander, Major General Shekari Billyok (rtd) and 11 other houses,” it said

SOKAPU however said that the Fulani herdsmen attempt to attack Runji community which was a nearby village was repelled by villagers who got reinforcement elsewhere, adding that as they retreated, the gunmen attempted to destroy the main bridge linking Matyei with Zangon Kataf town and other Atyap Communities, but succeeded partially.

According to SOKAPU; “Yesterday, before the night attacks occurred, the same armed herdsmen came in Hilux vans and attacked the Atyap of Makarau and Kachechere Communities leaving 10 people dead while 12 houses were burnt after looting them.

“The ECWA and the Anglican Church pastoriums that serves the communities were set ablaze.

“In a nutshell, 20 Atyap natives were killed by attackers identified as armed herdsmen between afternoon and today’s morning, Tuesday, 13 July, 2021.

“The previous day, Sunday, 11th July, Warkan Community, about 7 km east of Matyei, came under fire by armed herdsmen, leaving 8 people dead. The village was looted and animals rustled before 11 homes were burnt by the invaders.

“On 9th July, 2021, Timothy Ayok, 35, from Makarau village was ambush and killed dastardly by armed herdsmen as he returned from his farm that afternoon.

“On 8th July, at Kibori village, about 1km from Zangon Kataf town, a widow, Mrs Esther Patrick, 65 and her family of three were wiped out, including her 6 year old grandchild, Yerima Godfrey.

Pointedly put, in the past 6 days, at least 33 Atyap natives of Zangon Kataf Area were massacred, 4 churches and 215 homes burnt by assailants identified as armed herdsmen in a genocidal campaign that has become very intensive since 2016.

According to SOKAPU; “Our Atyap members have been consistent in accusing the Hausa settlers of Zangon Kataf semi urban town of harbouring killer herdsmen, yet no authority has done anything about it.

“On the 31st March, 2021, some Fulani squatters on Atyap land complained that their cattle and sheep were killed by Atyap persons.

“In a swift move, 15 Atyap leaders from 4 indicted communities were arrested by troops, detained for days and handed over to the Kaduna State Police Command Headquarters.

“The police later alleged that the Atyap leaders, among them an 85 years old Waje Laah, killed 706 Fulani cows and 75 rams in a single day and buried them in a ditch same day, which every rational person knows as an impossible feat to accomplish.

“In spite of lack of evidence, they were kept in detention for three months without trial and only released on bail last week.

“Meanwhile not less than 100 Atyap natives had been killed and about 24 Atyap villages burnt and hundreds of hectares of farmland bearing growing food crops destroyed by Fulani cows since July 2020. Not a single Fulani leader has been called for questioning,” the statement noted.

SOKAPU appealed to humanitarian assistance for the thousands of displaced Atyap women and children who are still moving away from several villages to various places around Samaru Kataf, Zonkwa and environs.

It particularly called on NEMA and SEMA to provide immediate relieve materials to the displaced persons and urged the Nigerian Human Rights Commission, Amnesty Internationals, the United Nations and all relevant international organizations, including local NGOs and Human Rights groups to bear pressure on the Federal Government and Kaduna State governments to stop the genocide in Atyap land and bring the culprits to justice.