“El-Rufai Lied Over Killing Of 66 Kaduna Residents” — CAN, NEMA

The Kaduna State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) who reacted to claims by Governor Nasir El-Rufai have disclosed that the Kaduna State Governor lied over the killing of 66 Kajuru residents. 

Rev. Joseph Hayab who spoke on behalf of CAN disclosed that El-Rufai lied about the killing of 66 Kaduna residents, to deceive Nigerians and the international community and also to stir up violence. 

The statement read, “The press statement by the spokesman for Kaduna State Governor, Mr Samuel Aruwan, suggests that “the killings in Kajuru Local Government were carried yesterday (Friday) 15/2/2019. This is false in its entirety.

“We are aware that the incident happened in the late hours of Sunday 10 February to February 12, 2019, at about 1am at Gindin Gada in the Maro Ward of Kajuru Local Government, Kaduna State where unidentified hoodlums went into the village and killed about 11 people in their sleep.

“The incident led to reprisals. Two of the suspects were said to have been apprehended and handed over to the Divisional Police Officer in the area. It was in the afternoon of the said date of the attack (as contained in the press statement) that the District Head of Kufana, Mr Titus Dauda, and four of his local chiefs were released after their invitation by the Department of State Services.

“We see this as an illogical intentional, premeditated attempt at stirring violence in the state for whatever expected gains. The incidence of raising false alarm by the Kaduna State Government should make Nigerians realise that some of our leaders are also guilty of hate speech and that makes them major actors in the game that has denied us peace and has claimed the lives of our love ones.’’

Punch also reported that the Zonal Coordinator, North-West office of the National Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Ishaya Chonoko, disclosed that there were no fresh killings in Kajuru LGA on Friday as claimed by the governor. According to him, “unpatriotic Nigerians” who were out to take advantage of the general elections to instigate violence in the state.