130 Fulani, not 66, killed in Kaduna, says el-Rufai

TRACKING>>Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai has declared that 130 Fulani were killed in Kujuru Local Government Area, not 66 as earlier reported.

The governor said that the latest figure is contained in a report provided through an on-going investigation by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).
The Kaduna State governor, last Friday, raised the alarm that unknown gunmen had killed 66 persons in the area.

Addressing State House correspondents after emergency security meeting summoned by President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, el-Rufai, who was joined by Governors Mohammed Bindo (Adamawa), Kashim Shettima (Borno) and the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina, said Fulani leaders have already indicated interest to provide the full list of those killed in the attack to the government.

El-Rufai also assured that his government was ready to make public, the pictures of the victims and footages of how the army had to be there to help bury the dead two days after they were killed because their bodies were decomposing.
He described those trying to dispute his position as chief security officer of the state on the killings as grossly irresponsible people.

“Now, what we are hearing, the last report we got is that, over 130 people were killed, not even 66. And the Fulani leaders are providing the names of all these people, we have the list and we will release it to the press.
“And I don’t want to be groused, but we can release pictures of the people killed and how the army had to be there to help bury them two days after they were killed because their bodies were decomposing. But some people are being irresponsible; they are pretending this has not happened because it does not fit their ethnic or partisan narrative. It is totally irresponsible because this can happen to anyone of us,” he said.

The Kaduna State governor explained that part of the reason why he went out appealing for calm was because he knew that those that lost their relations could take laws into their own hands for revenge unless they believe to have seen that the government was doing something to secure justice.
The governor told reporters that during the meeting with President Buhari, he requested for enhanced military presence during the forthcoming elections on February 23 and March 9 in the state.

“In Kaduna State, we requested for enhanced military presence in particular locations that are either affected by rural banditry, these are the local government of Birnin-Gwari/Giwa Angchukwu and areas where there has been a history of either electoral violence or ethno-religious intolerance,” he said.