The Christian Association of Nigeria on Wednesday said that over 102 villagers in Godogodo and Gidan Waya communities in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State had been killed by Fulani herdsmen in the last six months.
The organisation added that 50,000 houses were burnt in 25 Christian communities, while 215 people were injured in Kaduna State within six months by the herdsmen.
CAN also accused President Muhammadu Buhari and the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, of not doing enough to curtail the massacre.
Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving the representatives of the 25 villages displaced by the crisis rocking Southern Kaduna, CAN President, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, said the killings amounted to ethnic and religious cleansing.
According to him, Christians in communities in Southern Kaduna have been facing the dangers of extinction and genocide because of the threats of attacks by Fulani herdsmen.
“Many of them can no longer live in their communities, 32 people were recently given mass burial. Whoever is killed, whether Christian or Muslim, deserve not to be killed in this country,” he said
Ayokunle wondered why El-Rufai who is the state chief security officer would visit the two communities only once despite the fact that many houses were burnt and three villages were taken over by the Fulani militants.
He said, “Is this not Boko Haram in another colour? I want to plead with the government, this is a moment of truth, it is not about politics, religion or ethnicity, it is about the value that is attached to life.
“To keep Nigeria as one is first the task of the government before it becomes the task of the citizens. Ethnic and religious cleansing should stop henceforth. Every systematic killing should stop.
“We know the President is trying but that is not enough. You have to do more to save these innocent lives. We are appealing to the Federal Government and Governor el-Rufai, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to do their work and let us see result and not rhetoric. Killings in those communities have continued up till now. Let us not forget that an invitation to aggression depends on the degree of frustration.”
The Secretary of CAN, Godogodo Zone, Rev. Chawangon Nathan, said the problem which started on May 26, 2016 had degenerated due to nonchalant attitude of those in authority.
According to him, 25 villages in Southern Kaduna had been sacked by the Fulani herdsmen, whom he said, the media unfortunately described as unknown gunmen.
He added that despite knowing the culprits, the security operatives refused to arrest them.
Nathan said, “Over 102 people have so far been killed while about 215 sustained varying degrees of injuries. 50, 000 houses burnt in 25 villages, over 10, 000 displaced and over 30, 000 hectares of land destroyed deliberately by Fulani herdsmen within six months. The governor visited only one village once and the impact of that visit is not felt up till today. There is religious sentiment among the security operatives.”
