Kaduna Government Refutes Alleged Slaughter Of Igbos
The Kaduna State government on Friday dismissed as false an audio message being circulated on the social media in Igbo language that some Igbos travelling to the east from the Northern part of the country were ambushed and killed in Kaduna State.
Officials of the government, top security personnel and Igbo leaders in the state, while addressing newsmen, debunked inciting pictures and audio messages circulating in the state on how several Igbos retuning to Kaduna were allegedly ambushed in a luxury bus conveying them from the South-East.
The Senior Assistance to Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, and Igbo leaders led by the President-General of Igbo Community Welfare Association, Chief Chris Nnoli, quickly moved to avert the consequences which such unverified report could generate.
They noted that “some dark forces were bent on sowing and creating panic in our communities”, but vowed that the Kaduna state government would not allow them have their ways.
Aruwan said: “The attention of Kaduna State Government has been drawn to an inciting picture and audio message stating that some Igbos relocating to eastern Nigeria were ambushed and killed in Kaduna State.
“The man behind the mischievous narrative, who also claimed to be at the scene, went on to lie that the attackers slaughtered Igbos, including women and children, and that their corpses were burnt along with the luxurious bus.
“The so-called eyewitness then appealed to all Igbos residing in Kaduna and the rest of the North to relocate to their states of origin and to also avoid travelling en-masse, considering mass killings that await them in the north.
“It is clear that some dark forces are bent on sowing and creating panic in our communities.”On the stand of the state government, Aruwan said: “As you can see, we are here with the leadership of the Igbo community in Kaduna, Zaria, Kafanchan and other places.
“The story is entirely false and mischievous. The Igbo community is safe, like all our communities. Nobody is being attacked and nobody is relocating in fear. “The Kaduna State Government under the leadership of El-Rufai will continue to uphold and defend the rights of every resident of the state to live in peace. Our state is a safe place for all that choose to call it home.”
According to the audio being circulated in Igbo language, the Igbos in question were ambushed in a luxurious bus conveying them to Nigeria’s South-East.
Debunking the report of the alleged killing, President-General of the Igbo community in the state, Nnoli stated that there were no such report at the disposal of Igbo leaders in the state.
He charged all Igbos resident in the state to disregard the rumour, disclosing that no Igbo man, woman or children were attacked in the state.
Nnoli called on Igbo community in the state not to panic, urging them to go about their legitimate activities in Kaduna State without fear.