John Shiklam in Kaduna
The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), an umbrella body for ethnic nationalities in the southern part of Kaduna State, has called for the establishment of a permanent security formation in the southern part of Kaduna State to bring an end to the killings and raiding of villages in the area by gunmen believed to be Fulani herdsmen.
President of SOKAPU, Mr. Solomon Musa, a lawyer, made the call yesterday in Kaduna while condemning weekend’s attack and killings in Godogodo, Jama’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Musa in a statement said over 40 people were killed in the attack and not 20 as reported.
“So far, the locals have been able to identify not less than 40 corpses aside from several other corpses burnt beyond recognition” he said.
While calling on security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the barbaric act and bring them to justice, he urged the federal government to establish a permanent security formation so as to bring an end to the barbaric activities of herdsmen in the area.
He said inhabitants of about seven villages in Godogodo chiefdom had been rendered homeless after the herdsmen looted their homes and set them ablaze.
He accused both the state and the federal governments for not doing enough to stop the rampaging herdsmen from raiding and killing and destroying homes and farms.
He said property worth hundreds of millions have been destroyed, while crops have been grazed by cattle and the rest destroyed by the invaders.
“The savagery and barbarity of the attack is beyond belief. Yet, governments at the federal and state levels appear quiet and noncommittal. We have been abandoned, deserted and neglected,” the statement said.
He noted that the Godogodo attacks which started in since May 2016, “has been left to linger for too long despite the state government’s explanation that it spends N200 million monthly on security in the state”.
Musa said as a peaceful people, the southern Kaduna people have spoken, carried out peaceful protests and pleaded for intervention by the authorities, yet the appeals and pleas appeared to have fallen on deaf ears.
According to him, the security personnel posted to the area only patrol the main highways, adding that there does not appear to be any form of intelligence gathering or surveillance by government to forestall future occurrences.
“We encourage the state government to intensify its intelligence gathering mechanism and also include aerial surveillance of areas prone to attacks for a proactive measure.
“The state government is urgently asked to quickly come to the aid of the injured and the displaced, as a means of proving to them that they indeed have a government that cares for its people” the statement said.
