Militia Attack Kajuru Communities Again, Killing 9 – SOKAPU
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has condemned in no small terms, what it described as the continuous mass murders of its people and the destruction of communities by Fulani militia.
SOKAPU which made the condemnation while reacting to the latest attack by armed Fulani militia on Wednesday morning at about at 5:00am at Agwalla Magayaki and Tudun Agwalla in Idon Ward of Kajuru Local Government Area in Southern Kaduna, burning down homes, looting and leaving behind nine corpses, said the murders have become beyond description owing to its cruel nature.
The Union also condemned what it noted as “the obvious lack of interest, silence and inactions” of the Kaduna State Police Command in the massacre.
SOKAPU said that it gathered from the villagers that some of the attackers were well known Fulani youths raised within their communities and went on to even call their names.
These were contained in a statement by the National Public Relations Officer of SOKAPU, Mr Luka Binniya, saying that the wanton cruelty is coming three days after the Chairman of Kajuru LGA, Cafra Caino issued a press Statement alleging that 11 Fulani rugas or huts were burnt, with no human casualty, ostensibly in retaliation of the 27 Adara that were a killed in neighbouring villages of Gonan Rogo, Unguwan Rana and Makyali between 12th and 14th May, 2020.
Binniyat said that Cafra blamed users of social media for inciting what he termed as ‘renewed violence’ in the area, adding that the Kajuru LGA chairman’s press statement also went viral in many social media platforms.
SOKAPU further said; “But the villagers of Agwal said that the Fulani of Agwalla axis who they had played host to for decades, had quietly moved away a night before the attack on Gonan Rogo on the 12th with no notice.
“17 hapless villagers were hacked to death in that attack at Gonan Rogo. They said that the same Fulani may have sneaked back to burn their empty hurts as an excuse for a planned attack all in attempts to force the owners of the land out and take control having chased away their neighbors”.
SOKAPU said that it believes that the announcement of the ‘violence’ against the Fulani empty huts or rugas was the excuse and cue Fulani needed to carry out this wickedness.
According to SOKAPU; “Though Cafra had rushed to issue a press statement announcing the killings that took place today, he did not visit the villages to see for himself, but he had hurriedly visited the burnt rugas.
“After waiting for hours with no police coming in to see and take reports of the killings, the military patrol that came in three hours after the violence, gave a node for the mass burial of the deceased listed bellow:
“Kefas Yusuf, 30, married with three children; Richard Yusuf, 25; Fidelis Wada, 40, left behind two wives and four children; Kachia Simon, 30 father of three and Rose Soja, 39, mother three children.
“Others are Genesis Soja, 11; Rahap Soja, 9; Victoria Gyata, 50, mother of five and Lovette Akayi, 10, Victoria Soja was killed with her two children – Genesis and Rahab.
“If the Chairman of Kajuru LGA Hon. Cafra Caino believes strongly that social media users were responsible for the ‘incitement’ that led to the violence on empty Fulani huts, then he must accept responsibility that his Press Statement also incited the Fulani into the latest round of porgrom.”
SOKAPU said that as at the time its members left these villages at about 2:00pm, not a single police had showed up.
SOKAPU maintained that no matter how Cafra Caino, and people in authority want to make the pogrom against the Adara of Kajuru LGA look like a communal clash, it insists that it is pure ethnic cleansing.
It said; “War is being waged against our people and Nigerian government pretends that nothing is going on.
“We are facing a huge humanitarian crisis. We are therefore, once more calling for the assistance and intervention of the United Nations, Africa Union, the International Criminal Court, Amnesty International, all men and women of good conscience to come to the aide of the innocent victims.”
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