The Atyap Community Development Association (ACDA) Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna state has accused the Sector Commander of Operation Safe Haven of compromise in the military operations in the area.
President of the association, Mr Samuel Achi, made the accusation in Samaru on Monday, during a world press conference over the persistent attacks and killings in Atyap land.
Achie lamented that aside tears and sorrow, Zango Kataf constituency has benefited nothing in the present Kaduna state government after eight years in power.
With banners on display by widows and children carrying the inscriptions: “There is total absence of development in Atyapland and “Zango Kataf State Constituency has no visible projects despite a cabinet Commissioner for 8 years”, Achi said Atyap land has dominated the headlines for the wrong reasons following renewed attacks in Ungwan Wakili, Lagson, Atakjei and Runji.
He alleged that 70 people have been killed, including a five-year old boy who was beheaded, adding that about 20 villages have been displaced while 18 burnt down.
He also said that between 2017 to date, about 518 people have been killed in the area with thousands of victims taking refuge across many communities.
Achi explained that the press conference was organised to correct the fallacies contained in the First Quarter Security Report, Opurum presented to Gov. Nasir El-Rufai on April 19.
According to Achi, the report is “bias” in favour of the criminal elements killing people in Atyap communities.
The Sector Commander while presenting the report accused the Atyap people of killing the Fulani people and their cows.
He added that the intolerance of the Atyap people to the Fulanis and the poisoning and killings of about 70 cows was responsible for the wanton killings in the area.
Achi described the allegations as “total fallacy”, skewed to blame the victims, stressing that the military personnel drafted to provide security in the area were not helping matters.
