SOKAPU says the military ought to answer questions with regard to the ownership and operation of the helicopter.
The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has expressed outrage over a reported helicopter shelling of communities in the area, leading to the deaths of more than 30 people.
SOKAPU’s spokesman, Luka Binniyat, said the military appears complicit in the attacks on Southern Kaduna communities.
According to Binniyat, in the interview culled from Sahara Reporters, he says the terrorists attack Southern Kaduna communities with military fatigue, weapons and trucks belonging to the military.
The SOKAPU spokesman said the terrorists display professionalism in their handling of weapons, leading to the belief that they are rogue Nigerian Army operatives.
The SOKAPU spokesman said: “We have always called on the military to investigate alleged complicity of its personnel because we are told that in some attacks, ‘soldiers’, people kitted in full military uniforms and handling weapons professionally, using military trucks but the military has never come out to refute this or own it.
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“That is the arrogance with which they treat our issues. We’ve said it in many press statements that some rogue military men are involved in the attack on our people. In fact, we had at a time said the commandant of the Operation Safe Haven there should be removed because we don’t have confidence in him but the military has not done anything to show that they’re reading what we are writing,” the SOKAPU spokesman said.
His comment comes on the trail of attacks by terrorists and armed herdsmen on Ungwan Gamu, Dogon Noma, Ungwan Sarki and Maikori villages near Maro in the Kajuru local government area of Southern Kaduna.
At least 32 persons have been confirmed dead from the attacks, which began on Sunday, June 5, without military intervention, a statement by the Adara Development Association noted.
The association further claimed that while the bandits were on a killing spree in some areas, some of the villagers in Maikori prepared to repel the attacks when a helicopter appeared and started air strikes against the natives.
The report had attracted the outrage of Nigerians who noted that the military ought to answer questions with regard to the ownership and operation of the helicopter.
Meanwhile, the SOKAPU spokesman on Thursday said that a similar incident occurred in February 2022 and up until now, the military had yet to do anything about it.
He said, “This is not the first time that helicopter shot someone. In February when a town called Kauru was attacked, a helicopter flew over Kafanchan town and started shooting.
“A little boy was shot in the arm. The military has never done anything to resolve this. Where is the helicopter coming from? Who are the crew members? Who are those operating the helicopters? Are bandits now operating helicopters? Can helicopters fly over villages without the authorities knowing about it?” he queried.
While it had been reported that 32 dead bodies were recovered, the SOKAPU spokesman said another dead body was found on Thursday bringing the death toll to 33.
He said several persons were missing and they were suspected to have either been kidnapped or killed. He, however, said the kidnappers had yet to make contact with families.
He said, “Another dead body was recovered in the bush this morning. A lot of people are missing. We suspect that they might have been kidnapped or killed and their corpses are nowhere to be found. We suspect that a lot of people have been kidnapped, just that they haven’t made contact yet.”