No Fewer Than 40 Persons Reportedly Killed By Fulani Herdsmen After Invading Kaduna Communities

“For the seventh day running, nightly siege on Atyap Community has continued with the death toll and the number of churches and homes burnt rising.

“Yesterday 13th July, 2021, two persons were killed as armed Fulani herdsmen invaded Magata and Magori villages in Atyap Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf Local Government Area (LGA) in Southern Kaduna. The father and son were killed in Magata where the assailants also burnt 8 homes and the Catholic church in the village.

“The attackers then moved to the next village, Magori, but met a deserted place. They took their time, looted the village and loaded their bounty into the five Hilux vans they were driving in, and burnt down all the 19 houses in the small village. The attackers then returned to Makarau that was attacked on Monday and burnt down the ECWA and Anglican Churches whose two pastoruims were burnt in the last Monday afternoon attacks.

“Meanwhile, our members of the Amawa ethnic nationalities who settled in an Atyap community called Badawa, a remote farming community close to the banks of River Kaduna, under Gora ward, have reported that 5 of their kinsmen were killed and 12 homes and 45 cows rustled on the 11th July, 2021 after they were attacked by armed herdsmen.”

“This brings to 40 the number of persons killed, 254 homes and 7 churches burnt in an unbroken and unrestrained violence unleashed on poor, armless innocent farmers in Atyap Chiefdom by armed herdsmen in the past 7 days.

“Currently, 108 Southern Kaduna Communities are under the occupation of armed herdsmen invaders some dating back to 2019.

“SOKAPU wants to use this medium to welcome Maj. General I.S Ali, new G.O. C, 3 Armoured Division of the Nigeria Army, Jos. We understand that he is also the new Commander Operation Safe Haven which covers most of Southern Kaduna,”