A Fulani association, Bandiraku Fulbe Youth Association of Nigeria, Kaduna State chapter, has called on the Kaduna State and Federal Governments to urgently deploy more security to Zangon-Kataf to protect lives and property of innocent citizens.

Mr. Abbas Julde who is the association acting Chairman in the state made this in a contained statement issued to Newsmen in Kaduna on Saturday.

He said: “It is with a deep sense of mourning that the Bandiraku Fulbe Youth Association of Nigeria, Kaduna state chapter, issues this press statement today over the wanton attacks, killings, maiming and destruction of the innocent lives of its members in many areas of Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna state day before yesterday which continued yesterday.

“It is on record that the crisis started as a dispute between farmers of Atyab and Hausa extractions close to Zango town over a piece of land.

“We therefore wonder why innocent Fulani pastoralists, women and children are subjected to heinous, deliberate, unprovoked and premeditated attacks.

“The association condemns the attacks in totality, they are totally unprovoked and we view same as premeditated and provocative as previous attacks by some blood sucking disgruntled Atyab youth whose thirst for innocent bloods has since remained well known and noticed, not only in Nigeria but the world over.”

Julde claimed that some youths believed to be bloodthirsty attackers were mobilised, brainwashed, and sponsored by an association in Southern Kaduna.

While lamenting the recent attack on Fulani, Julde however said the innocent Fulani pastoralists had been living peacefully with their Atyab neighbors for several centuries.

The acting chairman said the present ongoing attacks on Fulani pastoralists in Zangon-Kataf is part of the sponsor’s grand agenda of hate and plot to eliminate all Fulani pastoralists in the entire Southern Kaduna zone.

“Our members in Zangon Kataf have been targeted with violent attacks and killings since 11th June, 2020, which attacks and killing have continued to next day unabated.

“In the process several Fulbe communities and families have been subjected to violent attacks and killings by their attackers and killers who are the Atyab disgruntled youth and their neighbouring conspirators in different villages around Zangon Kataf.

“So far, we have received several distress calls and reports from numerous Fulbe individuals, families and communities recounting their ordeals, losses and deaths in the hands of their attackers since yesterday.

“While the Association acknowledges the efforts of government and security agencies thus far in its effort to calm the situation down and rescue several individuals and families from the jaws of their attackers, more needs to be urgently done,” the statement read in part.

“We call on the government to deploy more security personnel to reinforce and complement the ones already on ground who are apparently overwhelmed due to the magnitude of the crises on ground and the geographical size of the area coupled with the difficulty involved in accessing certain areas where attacks are still ongoing, ” Julde urged.

The acting chairman expressed concern that despite the proactive measures put in place by the Kaduna state government by promptly declaring a 24-hour curfew in the affected local governments of Zangon Kataf and Kauru, the attacks continued.

He said the attacks were launched by brainwashed Atyab youths and their partners in crime against innocent Fulani pastoralists and other muslims in several villages across Zango Kataf local government area.

Julde identified the places of attacks to include Tak-Nje, Angwan Wakili, Mabuhu, Angwan Jaba, Gora and Mate, among others.

“So far, several human lives have been destroyed, varying degrees of injuries inflicted, valuable properties destroyed, houses razed and several men, women and children still missing and unaccounted for.

“At the moment, the association is still trying to compile report of number of human lives lost, those injured and properties destroyed, we will issue another statement in due course,” he said.

Besides, the acting chairman appealed to Zango-Kataf Local Government Council, Kaduna State and Federal Governments to immediately deploy more resources in the area in order to effectively bring the unprovoked attacks under control and to rescue several families that are still trapped in several villages.

He called on members to remain calm, law abiding and cooperate with the relevant authorities in order to arrest the situation.

Julde further urged government and well-meaning Non-Governmental Organisations to immediately mobilise resources, come to the aid of the victims of the attacks and provide humanitarian services to displaced individuals, families and those who sustained injuries during the attacks.

The Newsmen reports that the Kaduna state government had on Thursday imposed a 24-hour curfew in the affected areas to arrest the situation.

 

 

NAN