Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU)
PRESS STATEMENT (3rd June, 2020)
Around 5am this morning, armed Fulani militia, sneaked into Agwalla Magayaki and Tudun Agwalla in Idon Ward, Kajuru LGA in Southern Kaduna, burning down homes, looting and leaving behind 9 corpses.
The villagers told us that some of the attackers were well known Fulani youths raised around in their communities and went on to even call their names.
This 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 on the 12-14th May, 2020. Cafra blamed users of social media for inciting what he termed as ‘renewed violence’ in the area.
His press statement also went viral in many social media platforms.
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 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.
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 3 children; Richard Yusuf, 25; Fidelis Wada, 40, left behind two wives and 4 children; Kachia Simon, 30 father of 3 and Rose Soja, 39, mother 3 children.
Others are: Genesis Soja, 11; Rahap Soja, 9; Victoria Gyata, 50, mother of 5 and Lovette Akayi, 10.
Victoria Soja was killed with her two children – Genesis and Rahab.
We condemned in no small terms the continuous mass murders of our people and the destruction of our communities by Fulani militia.
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.
We also condemned the obvious lack of interest, silence and inactions of the Kaduna State Police Command in the massacre.
At the time we left these villages around 2pm, not a single police had showed up.
SOKAPU still maintains 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, we insist that it is ethnic cleansing.
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.
Thank you.
Sign: Luka Binniyat
National Public Relations Officer.
