By Ibrahim Sulaiman
Contrary to reports that 34 people were killed in the recent violence in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the Fulani socio-cultural group, Miyetti Allah, said 54 Fulani were killed while 15 are still missing.
Addressing journalists in Kaduna on Saturday, the assistant national secretary of Miyetti Allah, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said over 500 hundred displaced persons, mostly women and children whose husbands were either killed or missing, are seeking refuge in Kajuru and Kasuwar Magani areas.
“You may wish to recall that we had a cause to address you a week ago on the killing of four Fulani in Kajuru Local Government area of Kaduna State.
“During the briefing we explain the reasons behind the unjustified killings of our people, which was as a result of a kidnapping incident in which both parties (Adara and Fulani) were victims. We also called on security agencies to do the needful by bringing to justice all the culprits.
“We also called on our members to exercise self-restraint and not to take the laws into their hands.
“Three days after, we woke up with another circle of killings, destruction of Fulani and their property in a larger proportion of which the media turned a blind eye and covering facts regarding the onslaught against Fulani.
“As at yesterday Friday 21/07/2017, we have buried 54 corpses of Fulani attacked and killed by the Adara community in Kajuru local government.
“The most amazing part of the whole drama is the deliberate distortion of facts and biased reporting from some of the media outlets who turned the narrative upside down by insinuating that Fulani are the aggressors while actual aggressors are mischievously being portrayed as victims.
“This deliberate distortion and misrepresentation of facts makes us to suspect that there is a grand design and conspiracy to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. We wish to appeal to our media that this misrepresentation of facts will not do anyone good.
“Another dangerous aspect of this issue is the inability of the security agencies to arrest those characters accused of perpetrating and masterminding the crisis. Their names have already been handed to the security agencies but up to now they are still moving freely as if nothing happened at all.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we have the full list of all those killed 54 in number and ready to take you to their graves.
“About 15 others are still missing. Thousands of cows are still unaccounted for and over 500 hundred displaced persons mostly women and children whose husbands have either been killed or missing are in Kajuru and Kasuwar Magani.
“You may wish to visit them to see for your selves their plight and deplorable condition.
“Those insinuating that Fulani killed over 40 people should please take you their graves.
“Finally, we wish to still call on the security agencies to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice. We wish to call on our people to continue to exercise restraint as leaders have started consultation with a view to resolving the crisis,” Mr Abdullahi added.
