Kaduna Killings: El-Rufai apologises for govt’s failure to protect victims

Governor Nasir El-Rufai has apologised to the people of Kaduna State over the recent attacks in three local government areas of the state in which scores of people were killed.

over 50 people were reported killed during attacks by bandits on six villages in Giwa, Birnin Gwari, and Igabi local government areas of the state on Sunday.

The attacks are similar to the spate in the northern part of the country.

Mr El-Rufai, on a visit to the affected villages, admitted that governments ‘best’ has not been enough in protecting citizens.

“As those that have been placed in a position of leadership, the responsibility for protecting these people rests squarely on my shoulders and those of my colleagues. I also came to apologise for my failure to fully protect them.

“We are doing the best we can and we are hoping that this banditry will end soon because the security agencies are taking the war to the bandits. But as they close one area, they attack in another area. It is a vast territory and it is difficult to cover, but we are doing our best to minimise such incidents. You should continue to forgive us,” Mr El-Rufai told journalists and residents at one of the scenes of the attacks.

The governor reiterated his government’s decision not to negotiate with criminals.

“In Kaduna State, we have zero tolerance for bandits, we don’t give them amnesty and we don’t negotiate with them. It is our duty to wipe them out, and until we send them to their maker, the security agencies are taking the war to the forest and we are eliminating them,” he said.