Southern Kaduna Killings: Death Toll From Christmas Eve Attack Hits 11

Eleven people are reported to have died in the Goska attack allegedly carried out by Fulani herdsmen on Christmas eve in Kaduna State, Nigeria’s north-west region.

Concise News reliably gathered that four boys and two women were still missing at the time of filing this report. Those missing were said to be indigenes of the village.

In the meantime, the GOC, Maj. Gen. Adeniyi Oyebade, has ordered immediate deployment of troops in Ninte.

Ninte is a Southern Kaduna community where renewed attacks were reported to be carried out by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

And Oyebade, it was gathered, gave the order for the deployment of troops during a meeting he had with the youths of the community.

He assured the villagers that the Army would carry out its duty professionally.

Meanwhile, a community at Goska was reported to have said the presence of heavily armed police operatives in the area made no difference. He was quoted to have alleged that suspected herdsmen effortlessly killed and razed houses in the village.

In his reaction to the attack, Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State condemned the attack which took place despite the 24-hour curfew imposed in the area.

El-Rufai said the assailants, who carried out the attack on Christmas eve would be apprehended.

Governor accused

But a body, known as the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, has reportedly said El-Rufai should be held responsible for the attack. The union is reported to be an umbrella body of the 67 ethnic groups.

It argued in a statement that despite the curfew imposed in Zangon Kataf, Kaura and Jema’a LGAs by the governor, the Goska killings still took place.

The union then alleged that the curfew was a ploy by the governor to clamp down on those who protested last week against his “shoddy handling of the Southern Kaduna killings.”