The Atakar Community Development Association in Zandang
area of Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State said the renewed
hostilities in the area had so far claimed 100 lives.
The attack last Saturday had claimed over 15 lives
rendered many villagers homeless after their houses were burnt by their
attackers.
The police in the state, however, said 11 persons lost
their lives in the attack carried out by some unknown gunmen.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Aminu Lawan, a
Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, who confirmed the incident had
said, “It is true that Zankang was attacked this morning. The number of those
killed are 11. Our men are already there. You know that place is hilly and
bushy. But they are combing the hills, and we expect them to come out with some
results.”
However, the national President of the ACDA, Ishaya
Samaila, while addressing a press conference on Wednesday at Fadan Attakar,
said the death toll had risen from 15 to 100.
He noted that 500 houses were destroyed and over 10,000
residents displaced.
Samaila said property, including foodstuffs and
other household items worth N500m were destroyed.
Also, the paramount ruler of the Attakar Chiefdom,
Chief Tobias Nkom-Wada, expressed concern over the inability of both the
National and state Assembly members from the area to draw the attention of the
Federal Government to the plight of the Attakar people.
He said, “We are not impressed with our representatives
at the state and the national assemblies. We acknowledge their private
donations but our displaced persons cannot continue feeding on such gestures
alone. We expect them to raise a serious motion calling on relevant authorities
to intervene so that, we can have permanent security and sustainable way of
feeding our displaced persons.”
Samaila, while narrating the ordeals of the people,
noted that in March alone, over 32 people were killed “while 247 houses
were burnt, including four churches and two schools and personal items worth
about N150m were destroyed in that attack.”
He added that the last Saturday attack that left over 15
people dead were planned in such a way to eliminate the entire residents of the
area.
“The mode of the attacks was made in such a way as to
completely eliminate the villages as children and women were not spared. The
attacks seems to be directed at taking over our lands,” he said.
He said despite the attacks, the Attakar people had remained
peaceful and law abiding and still allow Fulani herdsmen to freely graze their
cattle.
-
PUNCH
No comments:
Post a Comment