El-Rufai Condemns Killing of Community Chief, Wife

The Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has condemned the killing of Numana chief and his wife which occurred on the eve of the new year.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how gunmen killed the chief in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Gambo Makama, and his wife.

One of the chief’s sons was also injured and his residence razed during the attack.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mukhtar Aliyu, confirmed the attack.

Mr. Aliyu said the police command received the report of the attack around midnight on Sunday, but said that the assailants had fled before the police arrived the scene, hence no arrest had been made.

He appealed for calm as the command was doing everything possible to get to the root of the matter.

Meanwhile, the killing has thrown the residents of Gwantu town into mourning.

In a press briefing in Kaduna by Mr. El-Rufai’s spokesperson, Samuel Aruwan, Monday, he described the late Etum Numana as a peacemaker who was committed to peace and development in his chiefdom.

“The government commiserates with the immediate family of the royal father and his wife, the people of Numana Chiefdom and the entire Sanga Local Government.

“The government condemns this double murder as a calculated threat to peace, and a most unfortunate attempt to intrude into a new year a pattern of criminality that needlessly threatens the right of citizens to security, life and liberty.

“All those with useful information are enjoined to forward to the relevant security agencies and the information will be treated with utmost confidentiality.

“Government has directed the security agencies to investigate this criminal incident and bring the assailants to justice. We urge the people of Numana Chiefdom to remain calm and to support the security agencies as they investigate this latest threat to the hard-won peace in the area.”

The statement added that security agencies had also taken necessary measures to assign more personnel to the area to ensure peace.