Gunmen kill village head, 6 others in Kaduna

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have killed the village head of Misisi,John Zogo and six others in Kaninkon District of Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

This was disclosed by the acting chairman of  Jema’a LGA council,Mr Humble Katuka, in an interview with newsmen on Friday.

It was gathered that security has been beefed up in Kafanchan and its environs.

Katuka, who relaxed a curfew imposed over Jema’a LGA yesterday, said: “I was briefed that soldiers have been drafted to help secure this area because some youths were parading some locally made fire arms publicly.

According to him, a meeting was summoned to discuss the security in the area, however,as soon as they went into the talks, there were gunshots in the village, causing everyone including the soldiers to scamper for safety.

It was gathered that the shooting lasted for  less than 15 minutes resulting in the death of six people including the village head.

However, the Kaninkon Development Association, KADA, in a press statement made available to newsmen in Kaduna on Friday condemned the recent attack in the village.

The stament signed by its National Chairman,  Mr Waje Goska Williams, gave the names of the victims as: John Zogo, 85, (the Village Head); Yakubu Abuja, 80; Adamu Bulus, 30 and Majhe Audu, 50. The rest were: Karu Amos, 42; Confidence Kibadu, 29  and Kurma Amo, 44.

“Kaninkon Chiefdom is one of the ethnic groups in Southern Kaduna in northern Nigeria that was not conquered by the Fulani Jihad of the early Nineteenth century.  These attacks are clearly an attempt at achieving what they did not achieve by the Jihad.

“On this day, 27th October, 2016 a group of men in army uniform came to Ungwar Misisi Village and called the village head, Mr John Zogo and the elders of the village for what they claimed to be security briefing on the situation in the area.  As soon as the soldiers came and started discussing with the village head and the elders, our people heard gun shots in the outskirts of the village.”

Kaduna State Police Spokesman, ASP Aliyu Usman,  confirmed the tragedy, but said he was given a casualty figure of four persons.

“I was informed that four people were killed. We are working at getting the criminals,” he said.