Group Deplores Invasions, Killings in Kaduna Communities

John Shiklam

The Atyap Community Development Association (ACDA), Atyap Chiefdom in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has raised the alarm over renewed attacks and killings in their communities by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Kaduna, President of ACDA, Mr. Samuel Achie said, a total of 42 people had been killed while 338 houses were burnt during various attacks on 12 communities by armed invaders suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

He also said seven churches were burnt while valuables like cars, motorcycles, generators, food stuffs and domestic items were either looted or burnt by the invaders.

According to him, some of the houses burnt by the rampaging herdsmen, included the family compound of the paramount ruler of the Atyap nation, the Agwom Atyap, His Royal Highness, Sir Dominic Yahaya, located in Magamiya village and the family compound of Maj. Gen. Shekari Biliyock (rtd), a former Commandant of the defunct Peace Keeping Mission, Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group ( ECOMOG) located in Abuyab village.

The group said the Atyap nation was at a loss to “the senseless attacks and killings by the Fulani militia as we have bent over to implement the decisions of the peace accord reached with the parties involved. The question is, what else were we supposed to do that was not done? It seems apparent that these attacks are being sponsored with larger motives than meet the eye”.

According to him, since 2020, frantic efforts were made to ensure peaceful coexistence with the Atyap, Hausa and the Fulani communities in Atyap Chiefdom, adding that a compromise on how to live in peace was still on course before the fresh attacks.

“We have always toed the path of peace not that we are cowards, but because it is what our parents bequeathed to us, by and large our religion taught us so. In spite of that, we will not fold our hands to be annihilated and our lands taken over.

“The absolute silence of the government on all these happenings in Atyap land, makes us wonder whether the Atyap people are still citizens of Kaduna State, because we are yet to see any proactive step by the government to end these killings in our land”, the ACDA President said.

The group, therefore, called on the Kaduna government “to without fear or favour come alive to its responsibility to put an end to the dastard and condemnable killings of its citizens.

“The government should ensure that the perpetrators are fished out and brought to face the wrath of the law. We say enough is enough. The Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari once said anybody found in possession of deadly arms be shot-on-sight.

“But as I am talking to you, Fulani Militias still graze in Atyap land with AK47 hung on their shoulders and shoot at any sight of a Kataf man. At one point or the other the security forces are called and they see them with it but no arrest is made. One begins to wonder whether the command by Mr. President is implementable or not.”