Southern Kaduna: Set back for peace as hoodlums attack Emir

There was set back for the efforts to restore peace in the southern part of Kaduna State within the week as three persons were reported killed in a fresh violence, while the Emir of Jema’a, Alhaji  Muhammad Isa Muhammad’s convoy was attacked by hoodlums.

Meanwhile, the Muslim community from Kafanchan has come out to condemn the alleged denial of the Emir’s attack by the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), demanding the investigation into the Emir’s convoy attack.

Saturday Nation recalled that three people were reported killed and several others injured at Samaru-Kataf, in Zango Kataf Local Government Area Kaduna State on Tuesday.

Violence had erupted at about 8:00pm on Tuesday night at Samarun Kataf, few hours after the state security council had relaxed curfew on the area to 11 hours

An eyewitness account had it that the attack occurred around 9:30 p.m. at a beer parlour close to Samarun Kataf market.

According to the eyewitness who identified himself as Musa Israel, “We heard several gunshots from the direction of a beer parlour close to the market, we at first ran away from the area, but we later realised that three people were killed and their corpses were taken to General Hospital. Many other people were injured while running for their dear lives,” Israel said.

The Kaduna Police Command PRO, Aliyu Usman, confirmed the incident but could not confirm the casualty.

Meanwhile, the government had restored a 24-hour curfew on the local government shortly after the violence.

A statement by the state government said, “The restoration of the curfew follows renewed security threats in Samaru-Kataf where the market was attacked by hoodlums. Security forces have taken steps to restore calm and vigorously enforce the curfew.”

On the attack on Emir of Jema’a, Saturday Nation gathered that the attackers destroyed three vehicles including the pilot car while the Emir was returning to Kafanchan from the weekly security council meeting at the Government House in Kaduna.

The Ciroma of Jema’a Emirate, Alhaji Kabiru Tanko, who escaped by the whiskers told newsmen in Kafanchan that, they were attacked around 8:00pm at Samaru Kataf after attending a meeting with the governor.

According to the Chief, “when we reach Samaru Kataf, some armed youths surrounded us with all kind of weapons and started attacking our convoy. We immediately turned back to Kachia for our safety”, he said

The Ciroma commended Governor El-Rufai’s administration and the federal government for deploying security personnel in Southern Kaduna.

He tasked the government to fully investigate the Southern Kaduna crises holistically, adding that the people behind the crises should be punished without fear or favour.

He also called on both Muslims and Christians in the state to embrace peace, as all religions teach peace, in order to move the state forward.

Meanwhile, the Jema’a Emirate yesterday addressed a world press conference calling on the ‎security agencies to investigate the attack on the convoy of the Emir of Jema’a, Alhaji Muhammad Isah Muhammad.

The emirate also berated the Southern Kaduna people’s Union (SOKAPU) executives for denying that there was an attack on the Emir on the Hausa service of BBC.

Deputy Chief Imam of the Emirate, Alhaji Muhammad Kabir Kassim also faulted SOKAPU ‎for not making a call to the emir or pay a visit to him over the attack.

Similarly, the umbrella body of the Fulani community, Miyyeti Allah Cattle Breakers Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has threatened to sue the Vanguard Newspapers and it’s Kaduna State Correspondent over report alleged to be concocted and malicious.

MACBAN at a joint press conference addressed yesterday by the National Headquarters, Kaduna State Chapter and Zone 3 Chapter, said the decision to seek legal action against the newspaper and it’s Kaduna State correspondent was sequel upon what it termed malicious and provocative article circulated by some media in which it was claimed that MACBAN will retaliate on attacks on its members in Southern Kaduna.

Ibrahim Abdullahi (Assistant Nationa‎l Secretary General), Haruna Usman Tugga (State Chairman), Musa Mohammed Gambo (State. Secretary) and Abdullamid Musa (Zonal Chairman, Zone 3) who jointly addressed the press said, at no time did MACBAN issued such ‘irresponsible’ article to any media outlet.

“MACBAN as a peace loving Association which has contributed immensely to the peace and reconciliation efforts not only in Southern Kaduna but also throughout the nation in general, will never decent so low as to advocate for the crisis by way of supporting reprisal attacks on innocent people under any pretext.

“It is on record that MACBAN has contributed immensely not only in reaching out to all the victims of the 2011 post-election violence and all other subsequent crisis in Southern Kaduna both within and outside the country.

“MACBAN wish to strongly and in an unequivocal terms, condemned this article and its authors and also called on the general public to disregard such irresponsible article.

“We want to strongly warn those behind this provocative article in the interest of peace to desist from using our good name to create mischief in the society. We do hereby call on the security agencies to investigate this faceless undesirable element that are behind this write-up in order to bring them to book.

“MACBAN would continue to reach out to all critical stakeholders and other individuals and groups with the view to working together to insure total reconciliation between these communities that have been co-existed peacefully together for many decades.

“We wish to condemn a Concocted story by Kaduna State Correspondent of Vanguard Newspapers in 2016 during Godogodo attacks that our Chairman said Fulani have claimed responsibility for the attacks.

“Our Chairman did not talk with him and we challenged him to provide evidence or retract that fake statements attributed to our Chairman and apologize our great Association or may face a legal action.

“We call on our members nationwide and in particular those affected by the crisis in Southern Kaduna to disregard this article and always remain peaceful law abiding. We call on everyone to support the Federal Government, Kaduna State Government and all the security agencies in their efforts to return peace and normalcy to the area,” they said

TheNation