TheCable

The Southern Kaduna Peoples’ Union (SOKAPU) says Nasir el-Rufai, governor of the state, should be held responsible for the fresh killings in the area.

On Saturday, suspected Fulani herdsmen stormed a village in Southern Kaduna, killing six persons, including the 14-year-old daughter of Gimbia Morik, a former deputy speaker of the state assembly.

Several people sustained injuries in the attack, while many houses were burnt.

Expressing worries over the development, which happened during the 24-hour curfew, SOKAPU alleged that the state of emergency was meant to punish people of the area for protesting against the persistent killings in their communities.

Yakubu Kuzamani, national public relations officer of the union, accused el-Rufai of lying by saying: “The state security Council took the step (24-hour curfew) following credible intelligence about risk to lives and property in the areas”.

“SOKAPU is calling on all people of goodwill to personally hold Governor Nasir el-Rufai responsible for all those murdered in Goska village because these killings took placed under a 24-hour curfew, imposed on Zangon Kataf, Kaura and Jema’a LGs by the governor,” he said in a statement.

“While people were forced to stay indoors, pampered marauding herdsmen whose presence around Goska has been noticed and reported by people around that area for almost three days, attacked the town and for hours killed and burnt without let or hindrance from security.

“This amply confirmed our assertion that the 24-hour curfew slammed on the 3 LGs in Southern Kaduna was just to punish the people for daring to protest the persistent killings in their villages on 20th December when El-rufai visited kafanchan.

“Those who initially thought the 24-hour curfew was to stop the herdsmen from continuous killings now can see the real reason for it.”

Kuzamani said the security personnel drafted to the three LGAs “were just to enforce the curfew and arrest those the governor felt disrespected him or trying to defend themselves and not to stop the killings”.

“This was further confirmed by the attack on Goska, because despite the hundreds of security men brought in from all over, Goska village, just some few kilometres away from Kafanchan town was still attacked,” he said.

“And like always, the security went to Goska village after the marauders had killed, burnt and left.

“Where was the surveillance helicopter that flew round Kafanchan during the day?  What happened to it during the attack? Where were all the hundreds of security personnel quickly mobilized to Southern Kaduna? For some times we have been crying and screaming ourselves hoarse that we need security in Southern Kaduna but nobody paid any attention until when someone felt the need to ensure that his curfew isn’t flouted.

“With the attack on Goska, who will the governor now blame? He has blamed everybody for the continued killings in Southern Kaduna except himself or those he paid money to stop the killings. So who will he now blame for the Goska attack? Maybe they were Niger Delta militants disguised as Fulanis.”

SOKAPU called on its people to remain calm and law-abiding.