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50 persons killed, houses burnt as terrorists attack Kaduna communities again

By Saxone Akhaine, Kaduna
26 March 2022   |   4:14 am
In a fresh attack on Kaduna State yesterday, about 50 people were allegedly killed while an unspecified number of persons were abducted when terrorists invaded nine communities in Giwa local council of the state.

• Zangon Kataf Leaders Accuse El-Rufai, Aide Of Instigating Violence
•Govt Relaxes Curfew In Kaura, Jema’a LGAs

In a fresh attack on Kaduna State yesterday, about 50 people were allegedly killed while an unspecified number of persons were abducted when terrorists invaded nine communities in Giwa local council of the state.

‘The police spokesperson in the state, ASP Mohammed Jalinge, who confirmed the incident, however, said the State Command was yet to compile the actual number of deaths recorded during the invasion.

He said: “We are still waiting for the full details of the incident from the Divisional Police Officer, Giwa and the Area Commander Zaria,” he said.

However, a member of vigilante group in Dillalai area of the local council, Mansur Ibrahim, said the bandits also burnt houses and vehicles, motorcycles and rustled away over 100 cows.

“The villages affected were Dillalai, Zango Tama, Kaya, Barebari, Anguwan Bakko, Gidan Alhajin Kida, Kadanya and Durumi among others.

“Dillalai was worst hit by the attack where about 15 people were reportedly killed with five commercial trucks and five houses burnt. The terrorists also burnt a church at Zangon Tama village,” he said.

Ibrahim said some of the victims that sustained gunshot injuries were receiving treatment at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika-Zaria.

Meanwhile, irked by the Kaduna State government’s recent comments on the recent violence in Southern Kaduna, Zangon Kataf community leaders have accused Governor Nasir El-Rufai and his aides of inciting the crisis in the area.
 
In a petition yesterday titled ‘Public Notice To Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna State Commissioner for Home Affairs from Concerned Natives of Kurdan Village, Zango Kataf LGA of Kaduna State’, the community leaders alleged that the government was inciting Fulani herdsmen against the natives in Southern Kaduna.
 
The petition was signed by one Dr. Barak Zebedee on behalf of Kurdan community in Zango Kataf and made available to journalists in Kaduna.

It read: “For a long time, the Fulani that lived among us decided on their own to peacefully and happily migrate to some other places, though they occasionally appear here with their cattle to graze and move on.
 
“We have never had any clash as far as memory can recall. I was therefore profoundly shocked to read part of your press statement on March 23, 2022, which was clearly inciting, libellous and inimical to the existence of my village and neighbours.”

Zebedee added: “Samuel Aruwan, you spilled out total falsehood from what you claimed that security personnel had informed you, among others, that herders’ settlements in Kurdan were burnt by hoodlums.

“To spike the herders into more provocation, you said the governor appealed to herders whose settlements were burnt to recourse to law and allow government and security agencies to handle the matter.

“What is most incensing in this matter is that even though this is a piece of dangerous fiction, you were already preparing the world to get ready for the blood let that the Fulani herdsmen would unleash on Kurdan, because your principal and yourself have always maintained that it is impossible for herdsmen to forgive.

“I am saying this because of a similar sinister lie and incitement made by both you and Governor Nasir el-Rufai on February 15, 2019, when you were the spokesman of the governor. Both of you addressed the press at different locations and announced that 66 Fulani were murdered by Adara villagers in eight locations in Kajuru LGA in Southern Kaduna around that time.

“El-Rufai later upped the figures to 130. The governor and you then appealed to the unforgiving herdsmen not to retaliate, but did nothing to forestall such a possibility.

“A few days later, after journalists from Abuja stormed the accused villages and found contradictory claims, then Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Abdurrahman Ahmad, denied your assertion.

“The CP said that investigations over the allegations were still ongoing, and that he had told the governor to stop making such announcements when a matter was still under investigation.

“As predictable as the herdsmen were (and still are), Adara land was visited with mayhem that it had never witnessed in its existence.”

Notwithstanding the attack on Giwa local council, the state government, yesterday, relaxed the 24-hour curfew imposed on Kaura and Jema’a local councils, saying it now stands from 6pm to 6am.

The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Aruwan, said in a statement, that, “the decision to relax the curfew hours was reached after a review of the security situation presented by security agencies at a peace engagement.”

Aruwan added: “By this development, there will be movement in the areas from 6am to 6pm, while the curfew is to be observed from 6pm to 6am daily. 

“The government wishes to reiterate that the initial declaration of the 24-hour curfew was to avert escalation of violence. Monitoring of the situation will continue. Should security assessments necessitate it, the government will not hesitate to revert to a 24-hour curfew.”

It could be recalled that following the violence in the two local councils last Sunday, which resulted in the killing of 37 people and burning of several houses, the government had immediately imposed a 24-hour curfew to prevent further mayhem.

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