At about 6:30pm of 19th April, 2020, mass armed Fulani attacked Ntiriku village of Kamuru District of Kauru LGA, Kaduna State.
A team from Emancipation Centre for Crisis Victims in Nigeria led by Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, Esq. in company of Hon. David Racha, former Chairman of Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau State visited the scene of the incident where it was confirmed that 4 people 3 of whom are women lost their lives as result of the non repelled invasion that lasted for about 3 hours without security presence in spite of prompt information about the sad development.
Those killed were Mrs Titi Saje, 95 yrs, Mrs Hannatu Joseph, 45 years, Mrs. Awiki Adi, 42 years, and Sunday David 61 years. Aside the lost of lives, over 64 houses were touched by fire, foodstuffs and motorcycles, Water-pumps among other valuables worth millions of Naira burnt while some were looted out leaving the survivors in despondency.
In a reaction to the incident, one of the suvivors said, ” my name is Mr. Stephen Kusa, a native of Chawe in Kauru Local Government of Kaduna State. We are natives of this community that has been Severally attacked ever since 13th November, 2016 as a result of which 68 people were killed by armed Fulani militias, and the entire community as well as neighboring villages were razed down.”
He said the attacks continued unabatedly “up to the one of last night that engulfed 4 of our people. It’s unimaginable, the devastation Fulani have plunged us into; in this situation, my elder brother, who had 2 wives and 8 children was recently killed by the vicious Fulani, leaving me with burden of looking after them beside my wife and 7 children…. as if that wasn’t enough, they came last evening, surrounded the entire village again and descended with heavy arms on us, killing 4 people though one of the attackers was found dead, probably as a result of gunshot by his co-aggressors as his corpse was found lying close to the dead body of one of the local women killed during the aggression.
This is an evidential proof that no one other than Fulani that have been attacking us, contrary to their denials during security meetings” he narrated. In the same vein, Rev (rtd) Dauda Rogo, the village head condemned the atrocious acts of the suspected Fulani militias as “barbaric and senseless without any reason known to us as a people who had accommodated them over time but now being paid by terror attacks as if we are at loggerhead with them.” In addition, he stated that, “aside the massive loss of our people in November, 2016, there have been pockets of isolated killings in ambushes before the one visited on us last night. If at all we have ever grieved the Fulani, is this the only way of ventilating their grievances when there are constituted authorities saddled with such responsibilities… as far as we are concerned, we don’t have any conflicting interest with the killers of humanity and if they do have such at heart, they should say it out and not killing of innocent souls.” in a further response, “it’s a gang-up arrangement of the Fulani whom I suspect that some came from Ganawuri, others from within Chase’s area while others from Marua area, for they went back to the direction they came from.” In his appeal, the village head pleaded for interventions both materially, psychologically and spiritually by intercession as “over 2000 people mostly women and children have become Internally Displaced Persons in their own land.”
In another response by anonymous source, it’s gathered that “while the killer Fulani were still on rampage with heavy gun firing, security agents came but did not go into where the attack was ongoing. From there, they went back” without any form of repellant intervention. However, there was military presence in the affected village when ECCVN’s team arrived today, 20th day of April, 2020.
In view of the above, it’s hereby appealed that-
1. Declaration of Fulani herdsmen as “terrorists” by Federal Government of Nigeria, following the vicious inclination and atrocious disposition of the killer Fulani.
2. Deployment of security agents should be jeavily Stationed in the area to nip in the bud the continued attacks unabatedly visited by the suspected marauders on the unsuspecting locals;
3. A discreet investigation by professional intelligence agents of State Security Services-SSS be set in motion to arrest the suspected terror attackers so that justice for all would be seen to have been done and not only said;
4. Relief interventions be stepped down by Federal Managememt Emergency Agency (FEMA), State Management Emergency Agency (SEMA), spirited individuals and other critical stakeholders to cushion the indescribable economic effects occasioned by the killer herders;
5. Trauma counseling be staged to the already traumatized survivors so as to psychologically brace them up to start up life again and device means of forging ahead;
6. All survivors be captured and mandatorily placed under palliatives set aside for the poorest of the poor earmarked in curbing down COVID-19 pandemic;
7. Intensify local security surveillance to avert recurrence of any form of external aggression mostly carried out at night times; and
8. Locals should timeously report any suspicious movements to security agents for prompt action.
9. Establishment of synergy with bordered villages/communities, especially Ganawuri, Kwall, Maiyanga, Tamborong, Maria and other local areas within the axis to closely monitor any suspicious, apprehend suspects and timely hand over same to the appropriate authority. This would greatly curb down the recurrence of unwarranted killings and other forms of crimes against human person.
By:
Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, Esq.
Emancipation Centre for Crisis Victims in Nigeria-ECCVN
