Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) and the Fulani community on Sunday traded words over the killing of over 100 persons in the area.
While SOKAPU accused the Fulani of carrying out the killings, the Fulani in their reaction denied the allegation, describing it as “false and unfounded.”
SOKAPU’s national president, Dr. Ephraim Goje, who addressed a press conference in Kaduna, said: “This incident is one out of the over 40 attacks in Southern communities since 2011. In all these attacks, we have identified the perpetrators as Fulani herdsmen as being responsible, but each time we raise this observation, the Fulani socio-cultural organisations within the state have out-rightly denied the involvement of their people, asking for proofs.”
He said the recent attack was led by two well-known young Fulani residents in Manchock town who died in the process, saying:
“Their dead bodies have clearly and unambiguously been identified by the natives and their corpses are now kept by the Joint Task Force (JTF) Command in Kafanchan for further forensic screening. This has clearly vindicated us and confirmed our earlier position that the Fulani have declared a Jihad on the people of Southern Kaduna and Nigeria; this is evidenced by this genocide in Bondong, the murder at Katsina state, Birnin Gwari, Plateau, Zamfara, Taraba, Benue, etc.”
However, Alhaji Ibrahim Bayero, who spoke on behalf of the Fulani, said: “It is false and unfortunate to say it was Fulani that carried out the attacks. What are their evidences and proofs? We should stop applying sentiment and insincerity to serious issues; we are not happy over the attacks, anything against the sanctity of human life is a threat to all rationale persons. We reject this SOKAPU’s notion because it is not the reality.”
