The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has confirmed that 204 people were killed in Jema’a and Chikun local government areas of Southern Kaduna.
It will be recalled that both Chikun and Jema’a local government areas were the most recently hit by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
The NEMA report, however, did not include other local governments like Kauru, Sanga and Zangon Kataf that also experienced similar attacks.
The clashes between Fulani herdsmen and locals in Southern Kaduna have lasted for several months.
However, it is the first time a government agency is providing a figure of the attacks since the attacks began last year.
The Catholic Church had earlier said 808 people were killed as at December 2016, a figure disputed by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, though he could not give a contrary number.
The Catholic Church also said 1,422 houses, 16 Churches, 19 shops, and one primary school were destroyed.
Musa Ilella, NEMA North West zonal Coordinator, said on Friday that the figure was for two Local Government Areas affected by the crisis, namely Jema’a and Chikun local government areas.
The figure covers October, November and December, 2016 and early January, 2017.
“Four districts in Jema’a local government namely: Linte, Goska,Dangoma and Kafanchan town recorded 194 deaths.
“Chikun LGA on the other hand recorded about 10 deaths, making a total of 204 so far,” he said.
Mr. Ilella said there was no record of any injured victim in the hospital.
Governor Nasir El Rufai had said the attackers were foreign Fulani herdsmen, who were avenging past attacks on them and their livestock.
The state and federal governments have been accused of not doing enough to end the bloodshed but the presidency last week announced the deployment of anti-riot police and soldiers to the area.
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