The Traditional ruler of Jema’a Chiefdom in Kaduna State, Alhaji Muhammad Isa Muhammad II, was on Wednesday attacked by rampaging youths in Samaru Kataf, Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
An eyewitness and a member of the emir’s cabinet, said the emir was returning to Kafanchan after attending a security meeting with the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai in the state capital when he was attacked.
He told reporters that the meeting had centred on issues relating to the recent Southern Kaduna killings.
Although the traditional ruler was not injured during the attack, three of his cars which were in the convoy in which he was travelling were destroyed by the attackers.
“When we reach Samaru Kataf, some armed youths surrounded us with all kinds of weapons and started attacking our convoy. We immediately turned back to Kachia for our safety,” he narrated.
He asked the government to fully investigate the Southern Kaduna crises holistically, adding that the people behind the crises should be punished without fear or favour.
He also called on both Muslims and Christians in the state to embrace peace, as all religions teach peace, in order to move the state forward.
When contacted, the Kaduna State police command’s spokesman, Aliyu Usman, said security have been deployed to the area to forestall any further breakdown of law and order.
The youth may have been angered by renewed attack on the community that claimed the lives of three persons earlier in the day.
Some other persons were injured the attack on the southern Kaduna community.
The deaths occurred when gunmen suspected to be herdsmen launched an attack on the community.
The Kaduna Police spokesperson, Aliyu Usman, who confirmed the incident did not speak on the casualty.
But an indigene of the area told Channels Television that the attack occurred near a market on Tuesday night, shortly after the state government relaxed the 24-hour curfew that was imposed on the Local Government by the State Security Council in December 2016.
Another resident of Samaru Kataf described the latest incident as a reprisal attack by the Fulani Herdsmen to avenge the killing of some of their people by the locals in the same area in November 2016 .
The governor of the state, Mr Nasir El-Rufai, had in December said the attackers of locals were foreigners Fulani Militias who were avenging the deaths of their kins.
Governor El- Rufai also said that his administration had established contacts with some leaders of the Fulani communities in those countries with a view to bringing the attacks to an end.