Yet again another attack, lives are lost, villages desserted the blood of the innocent wailing, with no help from the North, South, East and West. Which brings about the question isn’t this bloodshed enough?
16 persons including a police officer were reportedly killed in an attack at Kaura Local Government of Kaduna State. The gunmen allegedly invaded communities on motorcycles at about 10; 30 pm shooting during a wedding ceremony.
A similar and unfortunate incident happened at Gora Gan in Zangon Kataf Local Government where eleven people were confirmed killed by suspected Fulani militias, while seven reportedly sustained various degrees of injuries. These attacks are one of many in Kaduna particularly in the Southern part, which has made the youths of Southern Kaduna, protest what they term as incessant and unjust killings.
The past couple of months there has been incessant killings in Southern Kaduna and the most surprising thing is, our government has not reacted the police is saying nothing and just yesterday the Federal Government came out to say things that are not true about our people. Beevan Magoni a Southern Kaduna youth said.
Despite the Federal Government’s claims of conquering security challenges like the Boko Haram insurgency, the harvest of lives of men, women and children by heartless killers considered as herdsmen is unending.
On social media, a Nigerian said
“If it is not Boko Haram, it is herdsmen, or disguised terrorists given a new name “bandits”
Southern Kaduna Killings
It will be recalled that On the 13th of February 2019, sixty people were killed by Gun men in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna. The state Governor Nasir El-rufai noted that those behind the act would be apprehended, just as he warned communities to desist from instigating attacks or reprisals. Four days after the incident El-rufai condemned those he claimed were politicizing the killing at Kajuru.
The President of the Southern Kaduna Youth John Isaac believes…
“What is happening in Southern Kaduna is a systematic planned arranged farming Genocide and I stand to say this, Government must do the needful, the citizens must do the needful, it is high time that we all come together as one to solve this menace”
Yet, attacks upon attacks continue to ravage Southern Kaduna. Between May 19 to 24, 2020 in different villages, reportedly, 51 persons have been declared missing, 78 injured, 5 killed, 607 houses destroyed and 231 cows rustled. Children are left to fight for themselves, looking at the situation of a 12 year old boy hailed a hero, who was said to have defended attackers who sought to harm his father with dangerous arms.
This gives credence to Governor El-Rufai’s apology in March 2020, to Kaduna people over the killings and the failure of Government to protect citizens.
According to Debem Henry..
“If we cannot stand for ourselves why and how do we think that the international communities will stand for us? Why do we hope on them when we cannot stand for each other can we not show our brotherhood by standing for ourselves?
President’s Response To The Killings
Press releases upon press releases have been issued by Government at all levels, with the President condemning attacks every now and then. It looks like the only thing the President does is to commiserate with the people who have suffered attack. It is like a copy and paste text, stored in the computer and reeled out when a heinous killings of innocent people happenings.
”As we speak today, southern Kaduna Youths are languishing in prisons across the country. I was in the prison, I met many of them there and their only crime was trying to defend their land. With crude weapons, crude machete” According to Stephen Kefas a Southern Kaduna youth.
No Political Will
Those at the helms of affairs at the Federal, State and Local Government levels are accused of failing to pass the right laws to stop these incessant killings. Opposition figures have accused the present Government of playing to the gallery.
The story is not different in Delta communities, South-South Nigeria, Katsina, Zamfara, Yobe, Plateau, Kogi, Ondo, the list is endless.
Ndi Kato another youth in Southern Kaduna said ..
“We grew up and so killings, today we have become adults and these killings are yet to stop. As people, the question I came to ask today, is it wrong to be a Nigerian? Is it wrong to be from Southern Kaduna? Is it wrong to be human”?
Why Southern Kaduna Killings May Not End
In what has been perceived as a weakness and insensitivity on the part of Government, the Presidency said the reason the killings and unrest have persisted in Southern Kaduna is owing to;
“Evil combination of politically motivated banditry, revenge killings, mutual violence by criminal gangs acting on ethnic and religious grounds”
Perhaps this goes to show that even if there is an increased deployment of security personnel to the affected and ravaged areas, the situation will continue to be the same.
Does this mean that the “complicated problem of South Kaduna” according to the Presidency, is greater than the very government which swore an oath to protect lives and property of citizens?
Opposition Fumes
President Muhammadu Buhari joins other world leaders in Mali to find a solution to the lingering political crisis in Mali. Reactions have trailed the peace Mission of President Buhari. On the part of the umbrella body of opposition political parties they refer to his trip as ” The Journey of a man whose house is on fire but decided to be chasing rats”
In a statement issued by the Spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere.
“I heard you decided to take fresh air after months of hibernating in Aso Rock by going to far away Mali resolve their crisis when your backyard Katsina which is your home State and 20 other States in Nigeria have been taken over by bandits and insurgents with soldiers and citizens being killed.”
Young and Old Women children inclusive wail crying as their houses, legacies, livelihood and lives are destroyed. Nigerians are watching and waiting if an end will come to these blood shed.
