JUST IN: Four Killed by Terrorists in Fresh Southern Kaduna Attacks

No fewer than four people have been reported killed by terrorists suspected to be Fulani herdsmen militias in seperate attacks in Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna state, North-West Nigeria.

A source who spoke to Middle Belt Times on condition of anonymity confirmed that three wome were killed on Wednesday night when armed herdsmen attack Kwaku (Shiliam) community in Gora Ward of the local government.

“They came in around 9pm local time and started shooting.

“Two of my aunties were killed and another woman making three women.” She said.

In a seperate attack, a farmer was killed by suspected herdsmen at Chan’ahkooh community in the same local government area.

A source told Middle Belt Times that the deceased was killed while working on his farmland.

Zangon Kataf and other parts of Southern Kaduna have been in the news lately for violent attacks suspected to be perpetrated by herdsmen militias.

In September, 38 people including women and children were gruesomely killed by suspected herdsmen during a Sunday evening attack in Madamai and Abun communities, Kaura local government area.

In October, 6 people were killed during another Sunday evening attack in Jankasa community, Zangon Kataf local government area.

The authorities are yet to make any arrest or prosecute anyone in connection with the incessant killings in the area.

Kaduna State And The Rule Of Law.

Observation by Southern Kaduna’s People in Diaspora Association Europe (SOKAPDA Europe)

“Our humanity has been compromised by those who use Gestapo tactics in our war,
The longer we stand idly while they do so, the more we resemble those ‘good Germans’ who professed ignorance of their own Gestapo”

• Frank Rich

When Frank Rich made the above quote, the Germans were watching and saying nothing when Jews were being taken to the gas chambers.

We seem to have a situation in Nigeria in general,and Kaduna state in particular, where people are saying nothing when Journalists and others are being picked up at weekends and thrown in jail before any appearance in court the following Monday.

Killings in Southern Kaduna are being explained as either revenge attacks, reprisal attacks, or communal disputes.

This line of thinking is supported by Senator Shehu Sani when he said:

“One of the reasons that sustains the violence and bloodshed in Southern Kaduna is the academic rationalization of the despicable cruelties and atrocities. Each time the word revenge is emphasized after a bloodbath, the substance of terrorists committing massacre is blurred and buried”.

It is very difficult to comprehend situations where innocent lives are wasted almost every month. This has been going on for years; yet the powers that be keep explaining these as revenge attacks or descriptions of such nature.

Given this scenario, it will appear that any citizen that tries to draw the World’s attention to this narrative is picked up and locked up before being taken to court.

The general acceptable legal process is that if a Journalist or a citizen of the state commits a crime, this should be investigated by the police and if there is evidence that a crime has been committed, the person is then charged to court and it is only the court that has the power to sentence the person to detention or prison.
Obviously, there are exceptions as we have had situations where a person is pick up mostly on a weekend and locked up until Monday before being taken to court. It is obvious that this tactic is designed to deny the rights of the individual over the weekend.

This approach is only practiced in dictatorship regimes and not in a democratic society. We strongly advise the powers that be to follow due process.

Earlier incidents seem to support the view that this approach of picking people up at weekends is practiced to inflict maximum damage. This has been a tactic that the state has been deploying over the years.

For example, in 2017, Mr. Luka Binniyat, at the time a Journalist with Vanguard Newspaper, was arrested and sent to prison over a Southern Kaduna report. As a Journalist with the Vanguard, the state government focused on him rather than looked at the organisation that published the alleged story, since Mr. Binniyat was an agent of the Vanguard Newspaper. The least the state government could have done was to join Vanguard Newspaper in the suit, but this was not the case. One may conclude that this was a case of ‘selected prosecution’.

On 17 February 2017, Mr. Audu Maikori a Lawyer and CEO of Chocolate City Entertainment was arrested on a Friday in Lagos and taken to Force Headquarters in Abuja based on a detention order signed in Kaduna. The link here again is a weekend arrest.

On 8 May 2019, Mr. Stephen Kefas was arrested in Port Harcourt for re-posting an article on Facebookand transferred from Port Harcourt to Kaduna.

Many are of the view that his real crime was being critical of the Kaduna State Government.

In other words, many are of the opinion that his detention was either political or extra – judicial. The link again here is that the powers that be made sure that he was locked up before any chance to appear before a competent court.

On 4 November 2021, Mr. Luka Binniyat was again arrested by the police and refused bail.

Again, the alleged charge against him is an article (about the massacres in Southern Kaduna) that puts some individuals in power in the State in danger.

If this is the case, then Mr. Binniyat should have been investigated by the police, and if a case is established against him, he should then be charged to court and not arrested, locked up, and denied bail.

Again, the link in this case is the lack of due process in locking him up and denying bail; We are of the view that Mr. Binniyat is not a dangerous criminal.

As we write, it has been brought to our attention that 2 of the 66 worshipers abducted on Sunday,October 31,2021, at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Kakau Daji, Chikun LGA of Kaduna State have been killed by their captors.

We have also read in some of the daily newspapers that “The bandits opened fire on five of their victims on Saturday, 6 November 2021 and killed 2 while 3 others were seriously injured and are currently in the hospital”

Given the above scenario, we are surprised that this is not part of the major discussion in the scheme of things.

Some food for thoughts:

“Beware the abuse of power. Both by those we disagree with, as well as those we may agree with”

• Benjamin Carson

“Liberty may be endangered by the abuse of liberty, but also by the abuse of power”

• James Madison

Long live federal republic of Nigeria
Long live people of Kaduna State
Long live men and women of good will.

Southern Kaduna’s People in Diaspora Association Europe (SOKAPDA Europe)

8 November 2021

HURIWA CONDEMNS DETENTION OF LUKA BINIYAT IN KADUNA

Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group:- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has asked the Kaduna State police Command to release forthwith the National publicity secretary of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union Mr. Luka Biniyat.
HURIWA said the reported detention for over five days of the senior Southern Kaduna born Journalist and activist on the alleged order of the State Commissioner for internal security on the accusation of defamation, amounted to abuse of power.
Specifically, the Kaduna State commissioner for internal security Mr. Samuel Aruwan had on November 7th 2021 alluded to his role in the detention of Mr. Luka Biniyat in a briefing he gave to journalists in Kaduna as follows:
“I wish to address you this afternoon on recent disturbing allegations leveled against me, amounting to defamation of character, injurious falsehood and incitement of public disturbance. 
On 29th October 2021, my attention was drawn to an online publication authored by one Luka Binniyat. In this publication, Mr. Binniyat quoted Senator Danjuma Laah of the Southern Kaduna Senatorial District, as stating that I am being used to cover up genocide against Christians in Southern Kaduna. 
Before questioning the veracity of the purported statement, I am supremely concerned first, for the implications of such a statement on the peace and security of our state, because of the religious and ethnic sentiments it has conveyed.
Furthermore, as a passionate journalist on leave of absence in public service, I am acutely aware of the burden of professional responsibility which must accompany accurate reportage for the consumption of the public”, Mr. Aruwan claimed. 
HURIWA has however faulted the resort to self-help by the Kaduna State Commissioner for internal security for purportedly deploying the services of the Kaduna State Police Command to clamp into detention someone he accused of defaming his person instead of following the due process of law.
HURIWA argued that the principle of rule of law makes it incumbent that he who alleges must prove his allegations in the competent court of law and not through what seemed like the manipulation of state security apparatus to pursue personal matters. 
HURIWA quoted the Black’s Law Dictionary, to have affirmed that “Defamation” means “Holding up of a person to ridicule, scorn or contempt in a respectable and considerable part of the community; may be criminal as well as civil”. 
HURIWA asserts that Defamation is the unprivileged publication of false statements which naturally and proximately result in injury to another. A communication is defamatory if it tends so to harm the reputation of another as to lower him in the estimation of the community or to deter third persons from associating or dealing with him. The meaning of a communication is that which the recipient correctly, or mistakenly but reasonably understands that it was intended to express. It is important to note that Libel and Slander are both methods of Defamation, the former being expressed by print, written pictures or signs: the latter by oral expressions or transitory gestures Defamatory Statements may consist of libel (written publication) and slander”.
HURIWA cited the case of AYUBA v. SULE (2016) LPELR-40263(CA) whereby it was held that “The first requirement that is essential in slander is malice. To succeed in a case of slander, the plaintiff must prove-the words spoken, communication of the words to a third person, falsity of the communication against the plaintiff, damage must be proved except the slander is actionable per se, the actual words spoken should be reproduced in the language spoken with an English translation. AMAHAGWU V. NGWOKOR (2004) ALL FWLR (PT.219) 1091 AT 1098, YESUFU V. GBADAMOSI (1993) 6 NWLR (PT.299) 363. In THE SKETCH PUBLISHING CO. LTD. AND ANOR. V. ALHAJI AZEEZ A. AJAGBEMOKEREF(1989) 1 NWLR (PT. 100) 678I, the word defamation is defined as “a statement which if published of and concerning a person, is calculated to lower him in the estimation of right thinking men or cause him to be shunned or avoided or to expose him to hatred, contempt, or ridicule or to convey an imputation on him disparaging or injurious to him in his office, profession, calling, trade or business.” The Rights group therefore expressed consternation that the Kaduna State internal security commissioner is attempting to elevate his personal civil matter into a matter between citizen Luka Biniyat and his agency which is absolutely unlawful and unconstitutional.  
“According to a plethora of decided cases, it has been held that in order to succeed in an action for defamation, a plaintiff must prove that the libel or slander has been published, that is communicated to some other person or persons other than the plaintiff himself. See UGO V. OKAFOR (1996) 3 NWLR (PT. 438) 542 AT 560”, HURIWA asserted. 

HURIWA has also condemned the illegal detention of Luka Biniyat beyond the time frame allowed undet the law. 
HURIWA said: “”The 1999 Nigerian constitution clearly states that persons arrested or detained shall be brought before a court within a “reasonable time”. According to the constitution, the reasonable time means a period of 24 hours when a court of competent jurisdiction is within a radius of 40 kilometres to the police station or a period of two days in any other case.
Section 35(4) of the 1999 constitution states that: “Any person who is arrested or detained in accordance with subsection (1) (c) of this section shall be brought before a court of law within a reasonable time, and if he is not tried within a period of – (a) two months from the date of his arrest or detention in the case of a person who is in custody or is not entitled to bail; or (b) three months from the date of his arrest or detention in the case of a person who has been released on bail, he shall (without prejudice to any further proceedings that may be brought against him) be released either unconditionally or upon such conditions as are reasonably necessary to ensure that he appears for trial at a later date. Subsection 5 states that: “In subsection (4) of this section, the expression “a reasonable time” means – (a) in the case of an arrest or detention in any place where there is a court of competent jurisdiction within a radius of forty kilometres, a period of one day; and (b) in any other case, a period of two days or such longer period as in the circumstances may be considered by the court to be reasonable.” Section 61 (1) of the Nigeria Police Act 2020 agrees with the provisions of the constitution while stating that a suspect arrested without a court warrant, other than a capital offence, should be granted bail, where it is impracticable to charge to court within 24 hours.”
HURIWA therefore is demanding the immediate release from illegal police detention of Mr. Luka Biniyat since the plaintiff himself decided to take the law into his hand rather than follow the due process of the law by personally instituting either a civil or criminal case against the Defendant and accord him all the rights and privileges of fair hearing as provided for by the Grund Norm of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

Four village heads dethroned by Emir for aiding banditry in Bauchi

Alhaji Rilwanu Sulaimanu Adamu, the Emir of Bauchi has ordered the immediate dethronement of four village heads in Toro Local Government Area of the state.

A statement signed by the Secretary to the Bauchi Emirate Council, Malam Shehu Muhammad, and made available to journalists informed that the dethroned village heads were those of Buruku; Turkunyan Biru; Gamawa and Zomo villages.

It said that the affected village heads were found complicit in abetting criminal elements in their respective domains, leading to restlessness in the area.

According to the statement, the decision on their dethronement was taken by the emirate council after they were found guilty of hosting unknown strangers suspected to be criminals in their domains without notifying their superior officers or security agents.

It added that the affected village heads were also found culpable of destroying forest resources at the Lame/Burra Game Reserve, which the statement noted posed a threat to the security of the area.

(Barristerng)

Network Shutdown: Terrorists Kill Two In Kaduna Community

Terrorists on Sunday night killed two people in Maskoro Goriko under Ligari in Kakau Ward, Chikun local government area of Kaduna state, North west Nigeria.

The Councilor representing Kakau Ward, Honorable Richard John Kpedason who confirmed the attack to Middle Belt Times said the attackers arrived the community at about 11:30pm local time and began shooting sporadically.

“They came in around 11:30 in the night and shot two people dead. one person is still missing as i speak to you.” Kpedason said

The Councilor who visited the community on Monday morning further said that the network shutdown in the area is making things more complicated both for the security forces and the residents.

“The attack in this my Ward are getting too much and the network shutdown is making it impossible for the people to call for help whenever they sight the bandits nunlike before.

“Same thing happen last Sunday when 66 members of the Baptist church where kidnapped.

“When the people saw the bandits they couldn’t call the military for help despite the fact that the military is not too far from the area.” He said

Honorable Kpedason also called on the state government to deploy more security personnel to the area to forestall future attacks.

The names of the persons killed were given as Daniel Ishaku and Mallam Ali while one Bamaiyi Bawa was still missing as at the time of filling this report. call the military

It will be recalled that Middle Belt Times reported yesterday that two of of the 66 church members were killed by their captors under unclear circumstances.

Luka Biniyat: SOKAPU Youth Call for release of veteran journalist

The Youth wing of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union SOKAPU has called for the immediate release of journalist Luka Biniyat from detention. Biniyat, who is also the National spokesman of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union was on Thursday arrested by men of the state investigation bureau in Kaduna over a news article he wrote for a US newspaper, Epoch Times.

In a statement signed by its National Youth leader, Isaac John and made available to journalists on Monday morning, the group said it is ‘greatly pained’ by the development.

The statement reads in full;

The SOKAPU YOUTH WING is greatly pained and disturbed by the events leading to the arrest of the spokesperson of the Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU) Mr Luka Biniyat.

Without wanting to dive into details or attempting to throw blames considering the parties involved.

The Youth Wing is unequivocally urging the petitioner Mr Samuel Aruwan The Honorable Commissioner of Home and Internal Security to as a matter of necessity withdraw his petition and ensure the release of Mr Luka Biniyat.

This is imperative because his petition no matter how justifiable is uncalled for and stands to achieve little or nothing but to showcase the regions dirty linings in public.

We must learn to deploy our mights in defense of the Southern Kaduna People and not in victimization of the Southern Kaduna People.

Southern Kaduna at this time is faced with existential threats and therefore needs all hands on deck not behind bars.

We therefore call on all and sundry to water down the embers of hate and embrace Love, as Love and Unity is the only panacea to development and prosperity.

God bless Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU)

God bless Southern Kaduna.

Terrorists kill 2 abducted Kaduna Baptist worshipers, Others injured

Terrorists who abducted 66 worshipers last Sunday at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Kakau Daji, Chikun LGA of Kaduna State have killed two of the worshipers.

This was revealed by Rev Joseph John Hayab, Chairman of CAN kaduna State chapter, during a media briefing with journalists in Kaduna on Sunday. 

He said the terrorists opened fire on five of the worshipers on Saturday, 6th November, 2021 and killed 2 while 3 others sustained sever injuries and are currently receiving treatment in the hospital.

“The lives of Kaduna abducted worshipers are in danger and require urgent intervention of  government and security agencies.”

“The insecurity in Kaduna state has continued  to grow beyond our imagination and is threatening the peace of the nation.”

“CAN Kaduna State is appealing to well meaning individuals, organisations, those in authority, especially the federal government and the international community to come to our rescue.”

“The evil we are experiencing is more than what an ordinary person in Kaduna and Nigeria can handle.”

“CAN is appealing to all Christians and people of our state to be united in fighting this evil and be watchful,” Hayab said.

It will be recalled that terrorists invade Emmanuel Baptist church Kakau Daji during service and shot two worshipers before abducting the entire congregation on Sunday last week.

Terrorists Attack Southern Kaduna, Kill Many, and Burn Houses In spite of Network Shutdown

No fewer than 11 people were reported killed after two communities of Yagbak and Abuyab all in Atyap Chiefdom in Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna state, North West Nigeria were on Thursday attacked by heavily armed terrorists suspected to be Fulani herdsmen militias.

The attackers invaded the communities at about 7pm local time and began shooting sporadically from different directions as the villagers scamper for safety, a source in the community told Middle Belt Times via telephone.

A survivor from Abuyab who gave her name as Mrs Bamaiyi told MBT that the terrorists came fully prepared to inflict maximum damage on their community having attacked the community twice previously.

“They came heavily armed, we were just about rounding up having dinner for the day when they showed up and started to shoot anyhow.

“Thursday’s attack was the third we have had in recent times. They burnt down the remaining houses we were managing after the previous attacks.

“10 people were killed in our own community while one was also killed in Yagbak. Several houses were also burnt there. As I speak to you now we are at an IDP camp in Zonkwa” Bamaiyi said

Another traumatized eyewitness who gave her name as Rose said the attack threw the women and children into great fear due to the sound of sporadic gunshots.

“We all thought we were going to die, the gunshots were unusual, and the sounds were so loud that we could feel it right in our stomach.

“It was a survival of the fittest, we ran for several hours just to get to safety.” She said.

The latest attack is coming barely one month after 38 people including women and children were slaughtered in Madamai and Abun communities in neighboring Kaura local government area of the state.

The Kaduna state government had shutdown telecommunication networks in parts of the state, a decision she said was to enable security forces flush out terrorist elements operating in the state. This has turned out different as terrorists still launch coordinated attacks on communities with little or no resistance from security forces.

Journalist Luka Binniyat, the Spokesman of the  Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) was on Thursday arrested by the police on the order of Samuel Aruwan, the state commissioner of security and internal affairs over allegations of a publication written  by Binniyat which didn’t go down well with the government. The publication titled “In Nigeria, Police Decry Massacre as ‘wicked’ but make no arrest” was detailed and gave accounts of hoe 38 were killed in Madamai. In the report the senator representing Southern Kaduna was interviewed, so also the Police spokesman in the state.

Bandits’ informants have exposed some politicians – Matawalle

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has said some persons working with bandits have confessed that they are being sponsored by politicians.

The governor, who said this in an interview with Lagos-based RadioNow, did not disclose identities of the politicians exposed by the bandits.

He also spoke on how some key political figures worked against the amnesty programme of his administration.

“After we initiated the dialogue, you know it was supposed to be a collective effort — between the government, the people of the state and other political gladiators. Unfortunately, when the government is trying to make sure we have peace, some political elites are thinking they don’t want us to succeed.”

“So they’ve been making so many unprecedented comments about the dialogue issues and the reconciliation. And some of them that have connections with the criminals have been telling them all sorts of things so that they shouldn’t believe the government’s amnesty and reconciliation.

“We have some records. Some of the informants that were arrested, we have over 2000 informants under the custody of security agencies, and some of them have opened up and indicted so many people. They said some of the politicians are the ones funding them, telling them the state and federal government are not serious on what we promise to them.”

(Daily Trust)

Explosion Kills Five in Kubwa Market

At least 5 people have been confirmed killed in an explosion at the Kubwa Village Market in Abuja. The explosion occurred when a kerosene tank exploded with the woman and her child confirmed dead around 7:30 PM on Friday.

Middle Belt times will give you more updates