Crime News
Fulani Herdsmen Attacks & Ethnic Violence In Kaduna Killed 19, Over 4500 Displaced
April 2nd, 2013 – Fulani Herdsmen Attacks & Ethnic Violence In Kaduna Killed 19, Over 4500 Displaced
Weekend attacks on three communities in volatile and ethnically divided central Nigeria have left 19 people dead and displaced some 4,500 others, a local official told AFP on Tuesday.
The attacks were believed to be reprisals in a dispute involving mainly Muslim Fulanis and the mostly Christian Atakar ethnic group.
“From the death toll we’ve compiled, 19 people including women and children were killed by gunmen we suspect to be Fulani herdsmen in attacks on three communities on Saturday night through Sunday,” local government official Kumai Badu told AFP of the violence in the Kaura district, a remote region of Kaduna state.
Fulanis in the area tend to be nomadic herdsmen, while Atakar are mainly farmers. Land disputes often flare up between the two groups.
Badu added that some 4,500 people were displaced and two camps had been set up to house them.
“Apart from the gun attacks, the assailants also set fire to homes,” he said.
Kaduna state police commissioner Olufemi Adenaike confirmed that “some villages were attacked by gunmen suspected to be Fulani,” but said he could not yet provide a death toll.
“There has been some misunderstanding between the Fulani and the Atakar communities for some time,” he said. “We have dispatched our men for a thorough assessment of the situation.”
Southern Kaduna state, where the attack occurred, is located in the Middle Belt region dividing Nigeria’s mainly Christian south and its mostly Muslim north.
Hundreds were killed in riots in southern Kaduna after 2011 elections, with most of the victims Muslim, according to Human Rights Watch.
Speaking of the weekend violence, Badu said “the attack we believe was in response to the poisoning of some herds by some local farmers over encroachment into their farmlands.”
Dozens have been killed over the last couple of weeks in similar ethnic violence in neighbouring Plateau state.
Last week, violence involving rival ethnic groups killed at least 36 people and left dozens of houses burnt in Plateau.
Those casualties were in addition to at least 23 people killed in attacks the previous week in Plateau on March 20 and 21.
Security was boosted in those areas for Sunday’s Easter holiday, as was the case in much of the country, since churches have previously been targeted for attacks on Christian holidays.
Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer and most populous nation with some 160 million people and 250 ethnic groups.
Ethnic violence regularly breaks out over local politics, land or other factors.
Islamist extremist group Boko Haram has also extended a deadly insurgency into parts of the country’s centre in addition to its attacks in the north, further complicating the situation.
[Report by PM NEWS]
Elizabeth olaonipekun dennis
April 2, 2013 at 8:10 PM
Killing of christian is too much oooo
Kris
April 2, 2013 at 8:25 PM
What can I say in a country where human life is worth less than that of a fowl in USA or Europe. Other countries are busy fighting for animal right or even tiny aquatic life right, our good and most caring govt don’t even know if a human life is worth anything. Can u imagine the lackluster comment by the police command in Kaduna to constant killing of Christian’s in the state. Police in Nigeria is busy arresting harmless goats and imprisoning them while Fulanis are allowed to take their cattle into the farmland of another man’s sweat without recourse or caution and when the owners of the farmland talk Nigerian govt/Police will arm the Fulanis into killing them. In the name of nomadic life. Nomads my foot!!! Please Nigerian govt and Northern police should cultivate their own farm and give to the Fulani for their cattle to graze on and leave the poor village Christians in the North alone. I remember when I was small, I heard that those stupid Abokis/Fulanis took their cattle into my village farmland and trust Ibos now! It became meat for all while those idiotic Fulanis came to fight, it was not somebody that told them to take to their heels. I weep for Nigeria and it’s most docile leader. GOD will deliver us soon from both the dummy leader and his oppressors in the North, boko haram inclusive.
Joy kaosiriso
April 2, 2013 at 9:48 PM
Why is dis stupid fulani attacking d christian for God sake,y nt live christian alone,every day fighting,goverment should knw what they would do abt dt
Livingston
April 2, 2013 at 10:01 PM
This is just how they use to start the trouble, and by the time retaliation starts, people will start accusing the southern kaduna people for killing muslems. This is very unfair, how would the lives of catle be more important than that of human beings?. Definately they will get what they are looking for, because the southern kaduna people that i know are never violent people as people thought, if they are to be violent, they would not have accommodated hausa people in zango kataf and they would have finished them during the 2011 post election violence. I have been there for more than three decates and I know them very well, but if the fulanis whom they have been feeding suddently gathered strength and feel they can fight, okey, the batle line is drown, no retreat no surrender.
Sunny
April 2, 2013 at 11:11 PM
God will save us from boko haram and its associated aliened
Ifreke
April 3, 2013 at 6:36 AM
The problem of nigeria especially hausa is religion that has rooted so deep that tribal sentiment is now seeing as the cause of violence within communities without looking into the real cause which islamic religion. Some time I wonder which kind teaching being imbibe by this faults religion that are deceiving people of preaching peace. It a high time that northern christian rise up for reprisal attack which is the solution to boko haram which is purely islamic affairs.
Abdulazeez Taofeeq
April 3, 2013 at 7:44 AM
If u want comment,comment moderately and stop mixing up religion with tribalism bcos most the crisis/violence in the southern Kaduna are tribalistic in nature and this needs to be handled by the govt supposing we av a sincere one.Stop abusing other people’ faith afterall there are muslims in south west and they are living with there christians fellows in peace and harmony.
Existence
April 3, 2013 at 11:45 AM
Y all dis killing?
Loren Dan
April 4, 2013 at 3:43 PM
@abdulazeez if you don’t know something keep quite, iam from southern kaduna state you can never compere the Muslims in the north and that of the west the northern Muslims are terrorist people that will always look for blood to drink. I tot Islam you people said is peace?peace indeed nonsense people yan banza Kawai!!!!!
Haruna Hutu
May 2, 2014 at 11:56 AM
Lore don’t be too emotional be a peace maker and stop calling other faith nonsense people. pls don’t be emotional hijack.