Bandits have taken over 6,000sqkm of our land — SOKAPU

THE Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU) has raised the alarm that suspected bandits have taken over 6,000sqkm of their land.

Addressing a press conference at the headquarters of the union in Kaduna, on Thursday, president of SOKAPU, Mr Dio Maisamari, noted that “We are constrained to address you today on the pressing issue of security situation affecting our people in Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State.

He noted that within one month, “68 persons have been killed in Atyap land, leaving 15 others with life threatening injuries. These attacks have created streams of displaced persons fleeing for safety.

This was even as it said about 245 Southern Kaduna communities have been sacked.

“If the size of these captured areas is added to Birnin Gwari and adjoining areas, these outlaws have taken about 6,000sq Km of Kaduna land which is bigger than the size of some states, he stressed.

According to him, they have lost hope in the Nigerian state and want the United Nations to come and establish an operational base in Southern Kaduna.

“On these notes, we are concerned about the curious silence of Amnesty International (Al) on the pogrom ongoing in Southern Kaduna.

We are also sad about the silence of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Africa Union (AU), the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations (UN) over the situation in Southern Kaduna.

SOKAPU is calling on these continental and global bodies to send independent investigation teams to Southern Kaduna to debunk or confirm our claims of ethnic cleansing here.
“Before then, we advocate a UN or AU Peace Enforcement Operation Base in Southern Kaduna. This will demonstrate that the world is interested in our collective survival as minority ethnic group.

“It must not abandon us to be hounded by well -funded and well-armed suspected herdsmen who are being encouraged and protected by their kinsmen and collaborators in and outside Nigeria.

At this juncture, we will like to thank all good spirited per-sons, groups and non governmental organisations (NGOs) in and out of the country that have assisted in various ways.
We plead that they should not relent on their gesture as indeed, our woes are not over, he said.