Fulani herdsmen and bandits are said to have killed no fewer than 50 people, destroyed 254 houses, with 7 churches in Atyap Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State in the last two months.
The traditional ruler of Atyap Chiefdom, Agwatyap Dominic Gambo Yahaya, stated this in a statement on Tuesday.
He urged the state Governor, Nasir El-Rufai to save his kingdom and the entire Kaduna South from incessant attacks by killer herdsmen and bandits.
The monarch’s lamentation followed the last Sunday attack in his kingdom which resulted in the death of no fewer than seven people.
According to Agwatyap the unrestrained violence being carried out on “poor, defenceless, innocent farmers of Atyap land had reached a sorry state that no farmer can venture out to the farmland, as the chances of returning home alive were very slim.”
He said, “What is going on in Atyap Chiefdom, in Zangin Kataf and in Southern Kaduna is becoming worrisome and alarming.
“I have kept faith with the peace efforts embarked on by all the communities in the chiefdom, aimed at enthroning sustainable peace in the land by consistently restraining the youth from taking the laws into their hands in any form of reactions or reprisal, else, the situation could have escalated beyond control.
“But the recurring killings and destruction of property has reached an extreme height of provocation almost beyond control.
“It is sad that the peace processes has not yielded its desired result, and we now call on the governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to step in.
“On Saturday, 11th September, 2021, unknown gunmen attacked again, killing Reverend Silas Ali within the vicinity of Zango Urban settlement in Atyap Chiefdom.
“The following day, Sunday 12th September, suspected herdsmen invaded the community of Apyiah Ajiim, few hundred metres from the spot of Saturday’s attack, killing 12 people, in another round of recurring attacks on the Atyap community. The victims included: six women (two heavily pregnant), three men and three children.
“This occurred after the communities of Gora Gida, Wawa Rafi, Warkan, Manyie-Aywie, Ahtak- Kanai, Magata, Magauri, Matyei, Abuyab, Magamia, Makarau, Mayayit, Manchong, Ma’door and a host of other communities were serially attacked, where no fewer than 50 villagers were massacred, 254 homes and 7 churches burnt in an unrestrained violence unleashed on poor, defenceless, innocent farmers of Atyap land.”
The monarch said it was high time the federal and the state governments came to the aid of the homeless peasants, adding that about 15,000 of the victims of the attacks are currently in lnternally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.
He further urged security agents to use extreme measures to ensure the unwarranted and unprovoked killings in his kingdom and southern Kaduna area comes to an end.