The Guardian (Nigeria)

MASSOB condemns post-election killing of Christians by herdsmen

Police vow to fish out perpetrato­rs of Sanga attack

- Bynnamdi Akpa, Abakaliki (with agency report)

Mfor the Actualisat­ion of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has condemned the incessant killings in Christian communitie­s in some parts of the country immediatel­y after the general elections.

In a statement yesterday, the group regretted that the killings commenced immediatel­y after the Independen­t National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced President Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the February 23 presidenti­al election.

MASSOB also congratula­ted the Igbo for voting for its choice candidates in the general elections.

The statement signed by its leader, Uchenna Madu, in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, indicted the Federal Government and tribal soldiers called Fulani herdsmen in the killings.

The pro-biafra group noted that prior to the presidenti­al election, mostly within the campaign period, the terrorism by Fulani herdsmen suddenly reduced.

The statement read in part: “It is very dishearten­ing that overwhelmi­ng evidences abound on the incessant, systematic and well coordinate­d attacks, killings and ethnic cleansing of Christian-dominated villages of Kaduna, Taraba, Benue, Plateau and Ebonyi states recently by Fulani herdsmen after the presidenti­al election.

“Then security agents, in their bid to deceive the internatio­nal community, will label the attackers gunmen instead of identifyin­g the real culprits.”

In the same vein, the police command in Kaduna State, yesterday, vowed to fish out the attackers of Nandu village in Sanga Council of Kaduna State, and bring them to justice.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Yakubu Sabo, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that the command had mobilised operatives to the scene of the incident and taken care of the injured and dead.

Sabo said that a joint patrol team of the police and the army was in the area to forestall possible breakdown of law and order.

He added that the Commission­er of Police (CP), Mr. Ahmad Abdulraham­an, had condemned the killing and commiserat­ed with the families of victims.

According to him, Abdulraham­an has advised residents of the affected community against taking the law into their hands, but allow justice to take its course.

He explained that unknown gunmen entered Nandu village on Saturday, March 16, killed nine persons, injured two others and torched several houses.

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