Following the announcement of the death of 66 persons in Kaduna, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have debunked the narration of Nasir El-Rufai, the state governor, over the said incident.
In a statement issued by Sam Aruwan, his spokesperson, Governor El-Rufai noted that security agencies recovered on Friday the bodies of 66 persons, who were victims of attacks perpetrated by unknown gunmen in the Maro Gida and Iri axis of Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.
Read Also: Unknown Gunmen Kill 66 Persons In Kaduna State – El-Rufai
But in its reaction, CAN, in a statement issued by Joseph Hayab, the State Chairman, on Saturday, said the governor misinterpreted the facts as the killings happened between Sunday, February 10, to Tuesday, February 12.
The religious body described Governor El-Rufai’s statement as “false in its entirety”, adding that he wanted to stir up violence through hate speech in the state for political gains, especially a day before the commencement of the now postponed 2019 general elections.
“The press statement by the spokesman for Kaduna State Governor, Mr Samuel Aruwan, suggests that “the killings in Kajuru Local Government were carried yesterday (Friday) 15/2/2019. This is false in its entirety.
“We are aware that the incident happened in the late hours of Sunday 10 February to February 12, 2019, at about 1am at Gindin Gada in the Maro Ward of Kajuru Local Government, Kaduna State where unidentified hoodlums went into the village and killed about 11 people in their sleep.
“The incident led to reprisals. Two of the suspects were said to have been apprehended and handed over to the Divisional Police Officer in the area. It was in the afternoon of the said date of the attack (as contained in the press statement) that the District Head of Kufana, Mr Titus Dauda, and four of his local chiefs were released after their invitation by the Department of State Services.
“We see this as an illogical intentional, premeditated attempt at stirring violence in the state for whatever expected gains. The incidence of raising false alarm by the Kaduna State Government should make Nigerians realise that some of our leaders are also guilty of hate speech and that makes them major actors in the game that has denied us peace and has claimed the lives of our love(d) ones,” the CAN statement read.
In the same vein, Ishaya Chonoko, Zonal Coordinator, North-West office of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), disputed that 66 persons were killed as announced by the governor.
He also noted that the killings, which resulted from a fight between the Fulanis and the towns’ indigenes, occurred last Sunday and not Friday as depicted.
The NEMA boss called on the people of the affected areas and Nigerians, in general, to disregard what he described as a “rumour.”
“It is not true that 66 people were killed in Kaduna State. I am in Kaduna now and I can confirm to you that I am not aware of any 66 people that were killed in Kajuru Local Government Area by any unknown gunmen”, Chonoko told the Punch.
“There was an attack last week (Sunday) where 11 people were said to have been killed. It was the usual tribal clash between the Fulani and the indigenes. Anytime there is a clash between two tribes in Kaduna, there is usually reprisal.
“We made necessary contacts only to discover that it was merely a rumour to instigate violence. Please disregard it. It is not true at all.”
In his own reaction, Senator Shehu Sani, the lawmaker representing Kaduna Central senatorial district in which the affected LGAs fall under, said the details of the incident he got from his constituents were different from the narrative of Governor el-Rufai.
“What the people of the area told me was that the issue happened since Sunday and the security agencies waded in and resolved it immediately. There was no tension that can threaten peace in the area,” he said.
Senator Sani wondered why the governor brought up the issue before the eve of the now-shelved elections, adding that the affected areas were peaceful and eligible voters were even ready to exercise their franchise.
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