Sola Ojo, Kaduna

The number of Fulani killed during recent crisis that broke out in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State was more than 66, the Secretary-General of Gan Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria (GAFDAN), Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi has said.

Ibrahim and other leaders of the association, who were at the secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Kaduna, said they were still working on the development and would soon, come up with the accurate figure of people killed and properties destroyed.

According to him, “the state government and security agencies have confirmed the killing of 66 Fulani persons in the attacks.

“But we can confirm that the number of people killed is far is more than that figure. The association is working and will soon come up with the accurate figure of the people killed and properties destroyed.”

The association also noted that it lost about 86 of its members to a similar crisis in 2017 in the same local government.

He said “we wish to note sadly that, the communities and some people outside the LGA are not showing their sympathy and support to efforts by well-meaning Nigerians to resolve the crisis amicably, but are also shamelessly denying it.

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“In all the crisis, we are yet to see anyone convicted and that has been the major motivating factor for the perpetrators of the attacks.

“We call on the security agencies to ensure that, the perpetrators of these crimes against humanity are apprehended and brought to book.”

He then called on their members to remain peaceful, apolitical and not to take laws into their own hands, but, allow the government and security agencies to deal with the issue.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State branch of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has called on Kaduna State government to set up a high-powered judicial commission of inquiry to get to the root cause of the persistent killings in the local government.

The Islamic body also appealed to security agencies, as a matter of urgency, to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the recent killings in some of the Kajuru communities.

JNI in a statement by its branch’s Secretary, Ibrahim Kufena, said, “because of the frequency of crisis in Kajuru local government, we appeal to Kaduna State government to set up a high-powered judicial commission of inquiry to get to the root of the problem in the local government.”

He, however, condoled the state and the affected local governments and families who lost their loved ones in the crisis.