Kaduna warns against reprisal attacks

• Police parade suspected killers of herdsmen in Southern Kaduna
• Ortom accuses FG of slow response to situation in Benue

To forestall another crisis after the incident in Southern Kaduna, the state government has warned the citizens against inciting statements, documents and video clips that could lead to reprisal attacks due to the ethic clash in some parts of the country.

The warning was issued yesterday after members of the State Security Council met and vowed to deal with those circulating inciting documents and video materials to cause further crisis in the state.

A statement by the spokesperson to the governor, Samuel Aruwan, said: “Residents of Kaduna have been urged to do their best to uphold peace in the state. Citizens should remain calm and firmly reject any attempt to drag them into violent events happening elsewhere in the country.”

He added: “The State Security Council specifically warns those trying to incite unnecessary tension because of events elsewhere in the country. Such persons should desist from circulating videos and images with provocative commentaries and calls to citizens for reprisal attack.

“Already, the unfortunate incidents in those parts of the country have been taken care of, so the government would not watch enemies of peace manipulating the situation to cause problems in Kaduna.”

Meanwhile, the state Police Command has paraded three suspects for allegedly killing two Fulani herdsmen in March at Unguwa Luka in the southern part of the state.

The state Police Commissioner, Agyole Abeh while briefing journalists yesterday said the three suspects had confessed to their involvement in the crime.

One of the suspects, Danjuma Sanni said: “I and my brother went to the farm in search of birds and we saw a Fulani man. Immediately he saw us he brandished his cutlass and my brother engaged him in a fight until he lost control of the cutlass. After seizing the cutlass we used it to machete him until he died and we buried him.”

Still on the activities of herders, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has expressed displeasure over alleged “slow response” of the Federal Government to the incessant killing of farmers in the state by armed herdsmen.

The governor spoke yesterday in Ugba, Logo local council of the state while visiting areas ravaged by herdsmen.

Ortom urged the Federal Government to intervene quickly by assisting the state to end the killings.

And in Delta, the police command has denied a recent report in one of the national dailies which stated that helicopter delivered supplies to herdsmen in the state.

A statement yesterday by Mr. Andrew Aniamaka, the spokesman of the command in Asaba described the claim as false, baseless and misleading.”