Southern Kaduna/Fulani Crisis:
Fulani Pastoralists Demands Justice Over Killings, Destruction Of Properties
… Says, SOKAPU’s Claim Untrue
Zainab Tanimu
Kaduna, North-West, Nigeria
The Coalition of Fulbe Associations in Kaduna state comprising the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) Kaduna State Chapter, Mobgal Fulbe Development Association (MOFDA), Kaduna State Chapter and others have decried and demanded justice over what they described as atrocities and mass killings of Fulbe pastoralists in Zangon Kataf and parts of Kauru Local Government Areas of Kaduna state.
The mass killings of Fulani pastoralists by Atyap communities in Zongo Kataf local government area of Southern Kaduna is unacceptable as the Fulani’s are peaceful people. It said.
This was disclosed to journalists during a press confererence held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Secretariat Kaduna Tuesday, 17th, June, 2020.
According to the statement signed by the representatives of each group,
Alhaji HarunaTugga, Chairman MACBAN, Kaduna State; Ardo Idris Gundaru
Chairman, Kaduna state, GAFDAN; Abbas J. Julde, Chairman, Kaduna State BAFYAN; Barr. Abubakar Ibrahim Naseh
Coordinator, FUDECO Kaduna State Chapter and read by the spokesman of the team, Secretary General, Kaduna state, MOFDA, Barr. Nuhu Ibrahim,
the representatives of the various groups were in NUJ to brief the press and the public on tbe true situation of the crisis.
Misleading statements on the crisis have been issued by the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), it said.
Part of the statement reads thus:
“It is with heavy hearts that we converge here today to issue this joint press statement over the unprovoked, wicked and brutal killing and destruction of properties of Fulbe pastoralists in Zangon Kataf and parts of Kauru Local Government Areas of Kaduna state.
“We are compelled by the said criminal activities and cowardly attacks by some disgruntled youth of Atyap extraction and their evil cohorts to issue this press release jointly as a coalition of Fulbe Associations in Kaduna state comprising the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) Kaduna State Chapter, Mobgal Fulbe Development Association (MOFDA), Kaduna State Chapter, the Bandiraku Fulbe Youth Association Of Nigeria (BAFYAN), Gan Allah Fulbe Development Association of Nigeria (GAFDAN) and the Fulbe Development And Cultural Organization (FUDECO), Kaduna state chapter.
The purpose of this press release today is to put the records straights and to clear certain mischievous misinformation regarding the incidence especially as paraded by certain individuals and groups that have deliberately chosen to make misleading representations calculated at diverting the attention of public and the government from the true facts on ground and the actual level of carnage and wickedness meted on our peace loving and law abiding Fulbe communities in the Atyap (Kataf) Chiefdom and its surrounding villages.
The statement continues.
“It is on record that the current crisis emanated from a land dispute between the native Kataf (Atyap) farmers and the indigenous Hausa farmers of Zango town which eventually metamorphosed to an allegation of killing of a farmer of Atyap tribe who went to cultivate the disputed farmland by unknown persons.
This is a fact also acknowledged by the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) in its statement issued hurriedly by its National Publicity Secretary who is also from the same aggressor Kataf (Atyap) tribe on 11th June, 2020, following which the Kataf youths erupted in violence on the same date by launching simultaneous but ferocious attacks on unsuspecting Fulani communities across several villages in the Atyap Chiefdom.
Scores of people have been killed and properties destroyed. The statement added.
“In the past four days beginning from 11th June, 2020 to date our Fulbe communities have been subjected to serial and well-coordinated attacks, maiming and destruction at the hands of their Atyap attackers who wickedly resorted to cowardly evil acts of killing helpless and defenseless Fulani women, children and the elderly in their homes, sleeps, roads and in their productive economic business of cattle herding.
We acknowledge the fact that the level of damage to the lives and properties of our members during the attacks by the disgruntled Atyap youth is enormous as it cannot be possibly assessed and quantified in money terms.
“However, through reliable sources we have received reports evidencing that several unsuspecting Fulbe communities were attacked by the Atyap youth with attendant losses of human lives, burnt houses, destruction of properties and several herds of cattle rustled in the nooks and crannies across the Kataf (Atyap) Chiefdom.
Emphasizing further.
“The unanswered poser still remains, why should the Atyap youths transfer their aggression on peaceful Fulani communities which have nothing to do with either the farmland dispute or the alleged killing of the Kataf farmer?
“The answer is probably not far-fetched; the Atyap youths have been brainwashed and sponsored for such evil acts by a certain illegal union which has been instigating and supporting Adara youths to launch similar attacks against Fulani communities in Kajuru local government Area of Kaduna state and even in other parts of Southern Kaduna geo-political zone.
According to the group, the attack which has left several of their people dead was well coordinated
It is therefore seeking for justice to bring perpetrators to book while calling on the government and other bodies to take decisive steps to bring an end to tbe wantom killings and destructions being perpetrated.
SOKAPU’s claim is untrue. The group said.
“It is imperative to bring to the attention of the government, the media, civil society organizations and the international community the unfortunate events that have been taking place in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area and parts of Kauru Local Government Area commencing from 11th June, 2020 to date whereby our members are deliberately targeted, killed and maimed in a coordinated and systematic manner that leaves us with no other conclusion than the fact that they are premeditated and well planned.
“We use this medium to urge the public to disregard the deliberate misinformation and falsehood being dished out by SOKAPU in its usual but outdated style of ‘‘rubble rousing in order to get undeserved attention’’, the Atyap Community Development Association and other mischievous nervous individuals and groups seeking to divert attention away from the real atrocities
committed by the Atyap youth against our innocent members.
The group has urged the media to always verify issues in order that they can have a balanced story so as not to publish whatever ‘junk and hate story’ aimed at tarnishing the image of its people.
Highlighted were breakdown of several numbers of families who were said to be murdered at home and on transit of which some presently are hospitalized.
Quite a number of families the statement identified were killed and missing from across attacked villages.
The several displaced persons are currently taking refuge at various places such as Zango Urban, Mariri, Ladduga, FadanChawai, Bauchi state, Plateau state etc.
In its appeal,
“We urge our members to remain calm, steadfast, law abiding, optimistic and cooperate with all relevant stakeholders/authorities to ensure that justice is served on the perpetrators of all the attacks no matter what it takes and no matter how long.
“While we appreciate the efforts and prompt response of security personnel and the government towards ensuring the return of normalcy and rule of law in the area, we urge them to please go farther by not only ensuring that the dead bodies of our members that have not been recovered for burial are all recovered and buried accordingly but all missing persons and cattle still scattered in the villages are recovered and handed over to their families and owners.
We appeal that government ensures that the perpetrators are dealt with according to the laws of the land.
Aso appealing, “nongovernmental organizations and all well-meaning individuals and groups should urgently come forward and render humanitarian services and assistance to the injured and other surviving victims of attacks as well as to cater for the internally displaced persons who are scattered across different areas in dire need of food, shelter and other forms of assistance in order to get them resettled and restart their normal lives once again.
“We deeply commiserate with the immediate families of all our members who lost their loved ones in the incidence, the entire Fulbe family and the government of Kaduna state and we pray to Almighty Allah to repose the dead and comfort their families.
“We assure them that we will stand with them in this trying moment and that we will not relent until justice is duly served on all the perpetrators of the heinous crimes as well as their accomplices, conspirators and sponsors.
