Death Toll in Southern Kaduna Attacks Rises to 45

With yesterday’s recovery of the lifeless bodies of three victims of suspected bandits attacks on Southern Kaduna communities, the death toll in those attacks had risen 45 officially.

The Kaduna State Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs on Monday had said 34 persons were killed by suspected bandits at Madamai, Kaura Local Government Area of the state.

He had also said eight persons were killed in Zango-Kataf.

But  yesterday , in a statement released shortly after his visit to the scenes of the attacks, Aruwan  said three additional corpses were recovered by security agencies.

The commissioner  added that the search and rescue operations were still in progress.

The commissioner said: “Following weekend attacks in Madamai and Kacecere villages of Kaura and Zangon Kataf local government areas, security agencies on Tuesday recovered three more corpses.

“According to security agencies, two corpses were recovered in Madamai while one was found in Kacecere. The search-and-rescue operation is still in progress and the government will continue to update the public.”

Meanwhile, former lawmaker representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the Red Chamber, Senator Shehu Sani, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to listen  to the people directly and  not by any political proxy.

According to him, that is   the way to  find solutions to the continued bloodshed in the southern part of Kaduna.

Sani stated this  yesterday  during a courtesy visit by the Southern Kaduna Youth Movement.

Sani stressed the need for the federal government to listen to the people of Southern Kaduna directly and not through any proxy or political leaders.

“I could not see any reason that President Buhari is in his sixth year and he could not see the need for one day to go to Kafanchan, sit down and listen to their problems and how to find solutions.

“President Buhari has lived in Kaduna for more than four decades more than he has lived in his home state, Katsina,” Sanni  said.

He added that President Buhari could also embrace the option of inviting their stakeholders to the Villa and discuss with them and find solutions to the bloodshed that had continued unabated.

“It is impossible for President Buhari to hear the truth and the reality of Southern Kaduna if such kind of message has to pass through political pipe before it got to him,” he added.

The matter has been adjourned to October 20 and 21 for cross examination of the forensic expert by the defence.

BabaIjesha was arraigned on June 24 and is charged with a six counts bordering on defilement of a minor.

According to the charge, the defendant “sometime between 2013 and 2014, sexually abused the complainant (name withheld), then aged seven, by inserting his car keys into her vagina.

“He also placed her on his laps, touched her in a sexual manner and rubbed his penis on her body.

“On April 19, he indecently treated and sexually assaulted the complainant, now 14, by sucking her fingers and touching her in a sexual manner.

“He also attempted to have sexual intercourse with the complainant by unbuckling his belt and unzipping his trousers after sexually assaulting her,” the DPP told the court.

The offence, the prosecution said,  contravened the provisions of sections 135, 259, 262, 263 and 262 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.