The Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan says the unrest in southern Kaduna State has claimed 808 lives.Fifty three villages have so far been attacked and 57 people injured, the church said.
Governor Nasir El Rufai said the attackers are foreign Fulani herdsmen, who were avenging past attacks on them and their livestock,but the state and federal governments have been accused of not doing enough to end the bloodshed.
The latest killing last week took place despite a curfew on three local governments affected by the crisis.
At a press conference Thursday, the vicar general of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan, Ibrahim Yakubu, said the government had failed to protect locals.He addressed journalists alongside four other clerics.Mr. Yakubu said four local government areas have been attacked, with 808 people killed and 1,422 houses, 16 Churches, 19 shops, and one primary school destroyed.The figures are yet to be verified. “Unfortunately, our government both at the Centre and State levels have failed woefully,” he said. “If anything, government has shown outright partisanship in favour of the herdsmen to the disappointment of the majority Southern Kaduna indigenes and Christians.”
The religious leaders called for immediate end to attacks in the area, and demanded compensation to all families that lost loved ones or properties.
They also called for the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry be put in place to investigate the causes of the crisis.
“We call on Southern Kaduna indigenes to remain steadfast in prayer, united, strong and never to cave in to the antics of our adversaries. Tribe and denominational differences shouldn’t put a chasm between us,” the statement said.
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