El-Rufai pleads with Fulani against reprisals after death of 66 members

Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai has pleaded with the
Fulani community not to engage in reprisal attacks after 66 of
their members were killed in Kajuru Local Government Area of the
state.

The governor, who made the plea in Kajuru on Saturday during a
meeting with various stakeholders, said killings have become
incessant in Iri axis, including Kuturo, Unguwar Barde, Maro gida
among other areas in the local government.

“I know it’s the Fulani’s that are most affected in this crisis
as over a hundred people have been killed but as Muslims, we have
been advised to forgive, to be patient as God avenges every
evil.

“You must not take the laws into your hands by killing anybody
as you are likely to harm innocent people. Allow the security to do
their work please”.

The governor alleged that some elders in the communities were
responsible for the killings having provided weapons to the youths
who carried out the attacks.

” I am always disheartened each time I visit Kajuru and
sincerely am tired of this situation, because the elders know those
involved in the killings and have refused to fish them out.

“Maybe when government and the security agencies withdraw
support from your communities, you will know our worth and do the
needful.

“I have also asked the Council Chairman not to bail any leader
who will be arrested in connection with the menace. Nobody is above
the law, hence, culprits must be prosecuted, if guilty”, El-Rufa’i
stressed.

The governor called on the youths to stop the unnecessary
killings in the area, warning that anyone of them caught would also
face death penalty.

El-Rufa’i said the recurring killings in the local government
has stunted its growth, noting that ” no community develops without
peace; all developmental projects are meant for the youths as they
are beneficiaries in the long run.”

He condoled families whose relatives were killed during the
attack and promised to render help to victims whose houses were
burnt.

Earlier, the Council Chairman, Mr Cafra Caino said miscreants in
the communities have refused to allow peace to reign, adding that
all peace loving people must work to expose the perpetrators and
bring them to justice.

“We have given bikes to village heads to help us manage the
security issues. We must not allow them divide us along religious
and ethnic sentiments. We therefore urge all leaders to pinpoint
the culprits”.

Also speaking, the Chief Imam of Adara kingdom, Nuhu Sha’aban
who is also a Fulani leader said majority of those killed were
women and children less than one year old.

Governor Nasir Ahmad @elrufai has visited
some of the communities affected by the recent attack in Iri,
Kajuru Local Government.
The security agencies have stated that the killings are being
investigated and arrests have been made. pic.twitter.com/Rs3N4Y6yoc^[1][2]

— Governor Kaduna (@GovKaduna) February
16, 2019^[3]

“We the Fulanis have lived in this forest for over 41 years but
the youths keep ambushing and killing us. Some of us were
slaughtered and others burnt and thrown in ditches”, Sha’aban
disclosed.

The Imam called on the Commissioner of Police to transfer most
of the policemen in the area, whom he claimed were mostly indigenes
of the communities who have been at their duty posts for over 10
years.

He however appreciated the new Divisional Police Officer
recently deployed to the area and the military authorities for
their efforts at ensuring security in the area.

The village head of Rafin Rogo, Jonah Luka-Sarki, also reechoed
the claims of the governor that the perpetrators were very well
known and must be brought to justice for peace to reign in the
area.

“We don’t have to disclose their names in public, but we must
ensure they are arrested because they have become nuisance to all
the tribes in this LGA. We all must fear God and bring an end to
this menace.

“Since the miscreants operate in the bushes using the same
route, we call on government to send soldiers to secure our
forests”, Luka-Sarki pleaded. (NAN)