Less than 24 hours after armed assailants invaded four Chawai villages in Chawai Chiefdom, Kauru Local Government Area (LGA) in Southern Kaduna and killed over 20 persons in a single night, the attackers crossed a bridge well manned by soldiers at Bakin Kogi market town and invaded neighboring Apiababun village in Atyap Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf LGA. They killed a heavily pregnant woman, her two children and two (other) children.
Mrs Naomi Habila John, 32, was few days to be delivered of a baby when the attackers, described as armed Fulani herdsmen, stormed Apiababun around 10 am yesterday (3rd August, 2021) and went after the fleeing woman and killed her. She was killed with her two children: Bitrus, 2; and Samuel, 5.
Her husband’s senior brother, Michael John Ninyio, escaped with grievous machete cuts, but his two children were dastardly murdered by the invaders.
The five victims where buried today in a mass grave at the village amidst rumour that the killers would return.
Same day, in a separate attack at Kurmin Masara, in Atyap Chiefdom, armed herdsmen lay ambush to Mr Ezekiel Bulus, 51, on his farm and hacked the father of five to death.
Ezekiel, who was resident in Kurmin Masara as an artisan electronic repairer, was today buried in his native Damakasuwa town, in Chawai Chiefdom, Kauru LGA.
This has brought to 32 the number of innocent citizens killed in the two Southern Kaduna LGAs in an an ongoing orgy of mass slaughter and heart-wrenching destruction of ripe crops, homes and property that bear all the signature of genocide.
In both Chaiwai and Atyap Chiefdoms, hundreds of hectares of farmlands bearing ripe crops are cut down or cattle-herded into them to graze in a bizarre cruelty never imagined possible in Southern Kaduna.
Today, about 90% of Atyap land is deserted, swelling up the IDP camps in Samaru Kataf and Zonkwa all in Zangon Kataf LGA.
The Tsam, or Chawai, are also leaving their villages in their thousands looking for refuge with distant relations far and near.
Shockingly, the humanitarian crises generated by this crime against humanity seems in the least to have bothered (the state government).
Since the siege on Atyap land started last year and that of Chawai has been dragging for over six years now, the state governor, Nasir el Rufai has (not) visited any of the scene of the violence and has (not) offered any form of assistance to the victims.
(The state government) has (not) brought to questioning any Fulani leader, but has jailed several Southern Kaduna traditional leaders and elders, even as the victims of the genocide.
So far, in the attacks that happened in Chawai Chiefdom, the records released by the Kaduna State Commissioner of Security and Homes Affairs, Samuel Aruwan today matched our own with some little variations.
In Summary:
At Unguwan Magaji, which had suffered three previous attacks and killings, from 2014 (to date), (there have been) 8 recorded deaths, 75 homes burnt, 37 farms destroyed among others.
In Kigam, which has also suffered similar fate with Anguwan Magaji, 6 persons were killed and 52 homes burnt.
In Kishoho, 6 persons were killed and 37 homes burnt.
The violence in Kikoba claimed 6 lives, 3 critically injured, 12 houses burnt and 31 farms ravished by the attackers.
We want to use this opportunity to hail the gallantry and sacrifice of the inter-agency combined troops of Operation Safe Haven in Southern Kaduna for its efforts so far in combating this well sponsored pogrom.
But we hasten to advise that its leadership keeps a close eye on some of its personnel who maybe engaged in some untowards acts, common with renegade elements in all human endeavors.
▪︎ Report by Luka Binniyat, SOKAPU Spokesman
