The Southern Kaduna People (SOKAPU) has rejected the claims by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State that 7 Fulani herdsmen and 850 cattle were recently killed in the state.
The National Public Relations Officer of SOKAPU, Mr Luka Binniyat in a counter statement, rather declared that it was the MACBAN members killing and attacking other residents in the area.
It will be recalled as previously reported by Naija News that the Kaduna chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) on Thursday alleged that seven Fulani herdsmen and 850 cattle were killed recently in Zangon-Kataf local government area of Kaduna State.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, MACBAN’s Director of Media and Publicity, Ibrahim Bayero said the killings occurred within five days during a communal clash in the area last month.
He lamented that this is despite the various peace efforts initiated by concerned stakeholders of Fulani, Hausa and Atyap ethnic groups in Kataf (Atyap) Chiefdom and environs.
The MACBAN spokesman said the livestock comprising 712 cows and 138 sheep worth millions of naira were also destroyed from March 2 to March 21, 2021.
Bayero identified those killed by the Atyap people as a 51-year-old Wakili Ardo; Pate Kurmi, who was also a title holder of the Wakilin Fulani in the Atyap chiefdom; Ardo Muhammed Anchau, 55; Muhammad Yakubu, 41; Yakubu Aruwa, 25; Ibrahim Yuguda, 30; Mustapha Bako, 12; and Yusuf Hamidu, 14.
He gave the breakdown of livestock killed and their owners as; Alhaji Yakubu Abubakar (80 cows), Goma Mallam (62 cows), Nura Ambo (19 cows), Aruwa Ja’e (20 cows, 12 sheep), Baje Jaafaru (21cows, 15 sheep), Pate Musa (23 cows, 10 sheep), and Abubakar Musa (27 cows, 14 sheep).
Othersare Yakubu Abubakar (201 cows), Danlami Jibrin (42 cows, 16 sheep), Adamu Abubakar (52 cows, 40 sheep), Umar Abubakar (45 cows, 31 sheep), Alhaji Ado Abubakar (60 cows), Jibrin Abdullahi (35 cows) and Yahaya Abdullahi (25 cows).
“We hereby condemn the killings and the wanton destruction of wealth of innocent Fulani persons perpetrated by the Atyap communities in Zangon Kataf and other surrounding areas,” he said.
But SOKAPU in its own reaction declared the MACBAN statement as lies, accusing the herders of holding the entire community hostage.
Punch quoted the SOKAPU spokesperson as saying on Thursday that the Atyap nation had been under siege “by armed herdsmen since July 2020 in well organize carnage that has all the trappings of a genocide”.
“I can assure you that what MACBAN is alleging against the Atyap nation is not true and SOKAPU challenge them to show evidence, just the way that the Atyap can show all the mass graves of their people killed by the MACBAN members and several villages burnt and looted by them.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Friday disclosed that NIN-SIM linkage has been extended to May 6, 2021.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami in a statement released on Friday noted that the request for the extension was presented to President Muhammadu Buhari and he endorsed it.
Pantami who chaired the meeting of the Ministerial Task Force on the NIN-SIM data linkage on Thursday in Abuja according to the statement jointly signed by Dr Ikechukwu Adinde of NCC and Kayode Adegoke of NIMC said the current number of monthly enrolment has increased significantly to about 2.6 million registrations.