*As tension builds in Southern Kaduna

85-year old village head of Misisi farming community in Kaduna state, John Zogo and six others have been killed following an attack by armed on Thursday. The village is about 7km from embattled Godogodo town, in Jema’a Local Government Area of the state.

The development has ignited tension in many communities in Southern Kaduna where alleged armed herdsmen have invaded communities and killed scores since July this year. Security has therefore been beefed up in the major town of Kafanchan while police and army undertake joint patrol of the surrounding villages.

Acting chairman of Jema’a Local Government Area, Dr. Humble Katuka, who confirmed the tragedy to Saturday Vanguard yesterday evening however said the curfew that was imposed on the local government has been relaxed.

He said, “I was briefed that the soldiers drafted to help secure this area noted that some youths were parading some locally made fire arms publicly. A meeting was then scheduled by one Major Mbaim   between the Army, and the villagers especially the youths of Misisi village about their weapons.

I was told that as soon as they went into the talks, there were gun shots in the village and everyone scampered for safety including the soldiers. The shooting lasted, according to what I was told, less than 15 minutes and at the end six people were killed, including the village head, while 16 houses were burnt. Some of the gun men were said to be wearing what looked like Army uniform.

“The Hilux belonging to the Army was shot at. Those who survived said even the soldiers were fighting back for their lives. They denied that the soldiers turned their guns on the villagers. I have been touch with  Lt. Col Bello (full names not disclosed) and he affirmed the same. He is the officer in charge of the troops in Jema’a. It was an unfortunate incident.” But, the Kaninkon Development Association, KADA, in a statement yesterday in Kaduna said 7 person were killed.

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.

Part of the stamen reads: “This attack is clearly pre-planned and there seems to be a clear conspiracy on the part of the Government and Army and Security agents to look the other way while the killings and destructions were going on. It is clearly a plan of genocide against the Kaninkon people.

“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.