SOUTHERN KADUNA KILLING: MOBILE POLICE LEADERSHIP RELOCATES TO KAFANCHAN

KADUNA, Nigeria – The leadership of the Mobile Police Force has been relocated to Kafanchan as part of effort to restore peace to Southern Kaduna which has erupted in violence in recent times leading to scores of death.

The crisis has been linked to clashes between Fulani Herdsmen and cattle rustlers. At least six people were killed early Sunday in addition to those killed earlier when Fulani herdsmen allegedly invaded Goska, a village in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

“The attackers just stormed the village and started shooting; they killed six people including my daughter, and five others,” Mr. Morik, a former chairman of Jema’a local government told the News Agency of Nigeria in Kafanchan on Sunday.
But in a statement, Mr. Habila Joshak DIG Operations said the Mobile Police leadership was relocated to Kafancha as a result of importance attached to the operation.

He said the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Operations is directly coordinating this assignment in Kafanchan.
“The Force therefore wishes to reassure members of the public especially people of Southern Kaduna that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim K. Idris in his resolve to restore peace in all parts of the country and particularly southern Kaduna which has witnessed crisis in recent times”, he said adding that the Nigeria Police has deployed a special task force comprising of officers and men of proven integrity that are trained to respond decisively to any situation that is likely to threaten peaceful coexistence of the citizens.

“The Force therefore wishes to reassure members of the public that adequate security measures have been emplaced to respond at short notice of any attempt by misguided elements or trouble makers to disrupt the peace of the area”, he said.

Meanwhile, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), a group of 67 ethnic groups in Southern Kaduna, have blamed the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam el-Rufai for the violence.

In a statement, the National Public Relations Officer of the group, Mr. Yakubu Kuzamani said SOKAPU, has had to send out condolences to the murdered people of Goska village in Jema’a Local Government Area.

“Ironically, on a day that our people ought to be joyously celebrating the Christmas festivities, was the day they were reduced to burying their loved ones, treating the wounded in hospitals and coping with a fresh batch of internally displaced people of Goska village, whose houses were burnt down.



“They were killed while engrossed in preparing for the Christmas celebration, secured in their knowledge that a 24-hour curfew meant to keep them indoors would also keep away their killers. “SOKAPU is calling on all people of goodwill to personally hold Governor Nasir el-Rufai responsible for all those murdered in Goska village because these killings took place during a 24-hour curfew, imposed on Zangon Kataf, Kaura and Jema’a council by the Governor.

“While people were forced to stay indoors, marauding herdsmen whose presence around Goska has been noticed and reported by people around that area for almost three days, attacked the town and for hours killed and burnt without intervention from security agencies. “This confirmed our assertion that the 24-hour curfew slammed on the three local governments in Southern Kaduna was to punish the people for daring to protest the persistent killings in their villages on December 20, when el-Rufai visited Kafanchan.”