April 19, 2023

A community leader of Birnin-Gwari in Kaduna State, Zubair Abdurra’uf, says the killings in Southern Kaduna has persisted because the government and other people who should talk and act on the issue have remained silent.

Abdurra’uf, who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, said that the people of Southern Kaduna have lost faith in the security agencies, adding that they were always found wanting when terrorists attack them.

“There is complicity of silence by both the government side and also some people. It’s just because it’s Southern Kaduna that this is happening. A lot of people who are supposed to talk on this issue are not talking.

“And why people are losing faith in the security agencies is because even when we call security agents to come to the rescue in a particular place, they will wait for orders either from Kaduna or Abuja or from whatever.

“Therefore, when you have this kind of situation, you have an attack by these terrorists and you are trying to see how best these people can come to the rescue and these people are not forthcoming and people are being killed every day. So, therefore people will react and say, ‘We don’t want any people, let us defend ourselves when it’s necessary’,” he said.

The community leader’s comments is coming in the wake of recent attack on Runji Village in the Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State where no fewer than 33 people were killed. The victims have been given mass burial.

The Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan said that several houses in the community were burnt down while some residents were injured by the attackers.

He also disclosed that troops of the Nigerian military had a fierce encounter with the bandits and are still in the area to maintain law and order.

Also, Governor Nasir El-Rufai, condemned the killings, describing them as unacceptable and unjustifiable.