Herdsmen kills 102, razes 50,000 homes in 25 Kaduna communities – CAN

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said that 102 Christians were killed, over 50,000 houses burnt while another 215 were injured since May 2016 by suspected Fulani herdsmen in 25 villages in Kaduna state.

According to CAN, the villages include Godogodo, Gidan Waya and Ninte communities in Jema’a local government area of the state.

CAN President Dr. Samson Ayokunle also berated President Muhammadu Buhari and the state governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai over their lukewarm attitude to the killings.

He spoke on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving scores of representatives of the affected communities mostly from Southern Kaduna.

The Secretary of CAN in Godogodo Zone, Reverend Chawaison Nathan and Mr. Gaji Ampot led others to the CAN national office in Abuja.

Nathan said that so far, over 10,000 people have been displaced, with over 30,000 hectares of farmland destroyed and three villages populated mostly by Christian taken over by the herdsmen with sophisticated weapons and their cattle.

He faulted the claims by Kaduna State government that the communities were safe for the people to return.

“21 villages are without security, 20 churches cannot worship as they were ransacks and destroyed. The governor visited only one village once and the impact of that visit is not felt,” Nathan said.

“There are religious sentiments among the security agencies mostly the soldiers. It is the mobile policemen that did little to help our people recover and bury those killed., he lamented.

He said further: “It is worrisome to describe those who attacked us as unknown gunmen. This is not true as we know those who attacked us even in daylight as the Fulani herdsmen that have lived with us for years.”

The CAN President Ayokunle urged the federal, state government and security agencies to be live-up to their responsibilities instead of “saying all is well, when all is not well.”

Dr. Ayokunle said: “These ravaging Fulani herdsmen, are they above the law? Why were they not arrested? Why should the victims be the ones arrested? When we are talking of peaceful coexistence, it should be on mutual end, our people are human beings and have the right to exist, every Nigerian either Muslims or Christians have the right to be protected.

“Is this not Boko Haram in another colour? I want to plead with the government. It is not about politics, religion or ethnicity. It is about the value that is attached to life. To keep Nigeria one is first the task of government before it becomes the task of the citizens. This is becoming unbearable. Every systematic killing must stop. We know the President is trying but that is not enough. You have to do more to save these innocent live,” he said.

He said it is shameful for government officials to say those perpetrating the killings are foreigners when it is government responsibility to prevent illegal entrance into the country let alone those bearing arms and killing fellow Nigerians.