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…We cannot be involved in extra judicial killings-Nigerian Army
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) on Thursday condemned alleged Extra Judicial Killings, maiming, outright stealing, looting cum extortion, unlawful intrusion and harassment of law abiding Fulbe Youths of Tilde Fulbe community and other area of Ladduga Grazing Reserve in Kachia Local Government areas Kaduna by suspected Nigerian Army personnel.
However, Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations 1 Division Nigeria Army, Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yahaya in a statement said, “This Division wishes to unequivocally state that the Nigerian Army is a professional force committed to the rule of law and utmost respect for fundamental human rights of all citizens hence cannot be involved in extra-judicial killings and stealing of citizens’ valuables as alleged”.
But Miyetti Allah has called for immediate intervention of President Bola Tinubu and the Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani to immediately causing investigation into the killings by ensuring that all the erring security personnel involved in the perpetration of the crimes are brought to book and victims’ families compensated.
In a press statement signed and issued in Kaduna by Kaduna State chapter chairman of NACBAN, Haruna Usman Tugga, the group alleged that the MACBAN as an umbrella body of Fulbe in Nigeria is worried over the Extra judicial killings of their kinsmen in the affected communities.
“MACBAN has received with serious concern information via calls and other means of communication from individuals, groups, media and government functionaries over allegations of extra judicial killings and incursion by Military personnel from Kachia, headquarters of Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State into Tilde-Fulbe community and other communities within the Ladduga District, Kachia LGA of Kaduna State spanning three to four weeks ago and particularly on Saturday, 30h December, 2023 where killings, maiming, outright stealing and extortions were perpetrated by the security personnel against innocent, law abiding and peace loving residents of the said Fulbe communities.
“In order to substantiate the information, MACBAN promptly called an emergency executive meeting of the association with a view to getting into the root of the matter and to find out the triggers, remote causes, perpetrators and names of the victims.
“Arising from the emergency Executive Council meeting of MACBAN Kaduna State Chapter held on Wednesday 9th January, 2024 in Kaduna City, over the premeditated and systematic extra judicial Killings of Fulbe youth currently being undertaken by some badly trained elements in the Nigerian Army and other security agencies with bad motive not only for the Ladduga Grazing Reserve but the entire peace in many other parts of Kaduna State like Giwa, Jema’a, Makarfi and other LGAs of the state, the MACBAN dispatched some of its members on a fact finding mission to the affected areas.
“We came up with the findings that about two (2) weeks ago, security operatives seized one young man by name Safiyanu Adamu, 22 years old, who was sick and being conveyed to the hospital by his biological father and other relations. After six (6) days in the custody of the officials of security agencies, the dead body of the young Safiyanu was found in the bush.
“Mallam Adamu ldris, the father of late Safiyanu, made a complaint at the Police station in Kachia. Having keenly listened to the complainant, the
authorities of the police, after taking pictures of the lifeless body of the deceased Safiyanu and other information, ordered that the deceased be buried the same day according to the Islamic rite.”
“The said security operatives came back again to the village (Tilde Fulbe) on the 30h day of December, 2023 at about 10am and perpetrated the following atrocities; they shot and killed one Nura Yusuf at close range in Crossing Katul Market in full glare of thousands of people in the market and dumped his lifeless body along with his motorcycle in their military van and went away with it.
“Thereafter, his dead body was also found around Oduma Village of Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State about two (2) days after they demanded for the sum of Four Hundred Thousand naira (N400, 000.00) only from the deceased brother which sum was allegedly meant for his treatment, but they failed to call again after the brother insisted to hear the voice of the victim before he could give them the money.
“The trigger hungry security personnel also arrested four (4) young men from the same village and later shot and killed all of them in cold blood and dumped their lifeless bodies in the bush around Antai village in Kachia LGA along the road leading from Crossing to Maro of Kajuru LGA.
“The already decomposed bodies of these innocent youth were recovered and buried by our members with the help of the Nigerian Police on Monday, January, 2024 alongside one other person who was also arrested and killed in the same circumstance, therefore making the victims of the gruesome killing to five in number.
“Miyetti Allah is calling for immediate intervention of His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani by immediately causing investigation into these killings by ensuring that all the erring military personnel involved in the perpetration of these heinous crimes
against humanity are brought to book and victims families compensated”. The statement said.
