The incident comes barely a year after Luka's wife and only child were also killed by the criminals on August 2, 2021.
A 35-year-old widower, Achinge Luka was on Wednesday shot dead by armed men suspected to be Fulani herdsmen at Unguwan Magaji village, Kamaru ward in the Kauru local government area of Kaduna State.
The incident comes barely a year after Luka's wife and only child were also killed by the criminals on August 2, 2021.
This was made known in a statement issued on Thursday by the spokesperson for the Southern Kaduna People's Union, Luka Binniyat.
According to the statement, gunmen invaded Totace village, of Kujama ward in Chikun Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna and killed three people after which 9 others were abducted.
This was closely followed by another attack on Chen Shye/Didiong community in Gorah ward, Zangon Kataf local government area of the state after which 6 persons were killed.
Meanwhile, on Monday, May 16, the gunmen stormed Pavilion Estate in Gidan Waya town, abducting four female students of Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya.
The abductors, according to the statement, have made contact with families, demanding a ransom of N45 million to secure the release of the young ladies.
SOKAPU lamented the incessant attacks on Southern Kaduna communities without adequate intervention by the security agents, noting that in the past two weeks, no fewer than 12 persons have been killed and 13 abducted.
The statement reads, “Yesterday evening, Wednesday, 18th May 2022, Achinge Luka, 35 and a widower, was riding on his motorbike at the beleaguered Unguwan Magaji village, Kamaru ward, Kauru LGA in Southern Kaduna when armed Fulani herdsmen men laid ambush and shot him dead.
“They went away with his bike. Luka's case is most pathetic because his wife and only child were killed during last year’s August 2 attack on Unguwan Magaji and environs in which SOKAPU reported the massacre of over 70 persons by armed Fulani Herdsmen.
“Unguwan Magaji has been attacked not less than five times in 2 years with scores killed property looted and burnt. No culprit has been apprehended.
“Also, about 250 km west of the aforementioned murder, in the early morning hours of yesterday, gunmen stormed Totace village, Kujama ward, Chikun Local Government Area (LGA) in Southern Kaduna and killed the following three aged men as follows: Bulus Magaji (male) 75, Yakubu Sukuru (m) 70 and Amos Israela (m)10.
“The invaders who attacked the village around 2 am also kidnapped 9 persons into the bush. Their whereabouts are still unknown.
“The unrelenting assault on Southern Kaduna communities also recorded more tragedies as armed herdsmen attacked Chen Shye or Didiong community in Gorah ward, Zangon Kataf LGA.
“After the attack, 6 persons were left dead. They are Ishaya Shinkut (m) 70, Hanatu Hosea (female) 27, Tabitha Danladi (f) 42, Celina Danladi (f) 42; Felix Hosea (m), 7 and Talatu Gabriel (f), 4.
“In the same manner, on the 16th May 2022, armed men invaded Pavilion Estate, Gidan Waya town, Jemaa LGA with the sole aim of kidnapping students of Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya.
“They succeeded in taking away the following female students: Racheal Edwin 24, a 200 Level Biology/Geography student and Esther Ishaya, 23, an Economics/History 200 level student.
“The remaining two are Beauty Luka, 23, who is a 300 Level Special Needs/CRS student and Promise Tanimu 22, an English/History 200 Level student.
“The kidnappers have established contact and are now demanding N45 million in ransom. On Sunday 8th May 2022, armed Fulani herdsmen ambushed and shot 3 persons in broad daylight in Kigam village, Kamaru ward, Chawai Chiefdom of Kauru LGA and burnt down a motorbike.
“Two males: Danlami Garba 28, and Aga Garba 26, of the same parents were killed in the attack. One Sunday Musa (m) 25, escaped with severe gunshot wounds and is currently taking treatment at a Jos Hospital.
“The situation would have been worse for the timely intervention of men of Operation Safe Haven stationed nearby, the attackers would have carried out more harm to the community which has been attacked several times in the past two years.
“In a nutshell, in the past four days, 12 persons have been killed and 13 kidnapped in Southern Kaduna with no arrest made so far.
“It is, therefore, very obvious that the insecurity in Southern Kaduna is getting worse by the day. Each day and night people are killed or kidnapped with the government looking on.
“As we approach the 2023 general elections, we already have over 200,000 who have been displaced by violence from over 145 communities in five LGAs of Southern Kaduna. There is little hope that they will return to their voting points before the general elections.
“If their villages are not secured for their safe and peaceful return, SOKAPU would have no reason not to believe that the main aim of the attacks on their communities is to disenfranchise them while the invaders are allowed to violently expropriate their lands to their use as the booty of their unchallenged crime.
“We, therefore, call on the government to take urgent steps to fish out the perpetrator of these heinous crimes and return all displaced persons to the communities very urgently.”