The Atyap Community Development Association (ACDA) in Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria, has cried out for help, lamenting that their community is under terrorists and bandits’ siege.
Already, it said, 41 of its residents have been killed by the terrorists and bandits since the beginning of August and many houses and property destroyed.
President of the association, Dr. Samuel Achie, who spoke on behalf of residents, called on the Federal Government and the international community to come to their aid, regretting that thousands of Atyap people, who are agrarian, have been sacked from their ancestral lands and are living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps with no assistance from the State government.
He thanked some members of the community for establishing IDP camps in Madachip and Zonkwa to cater for the displace people from the various communities saying: “On behalf of the peace loving people of Atyap, we condemn the attacks in its entirety and call on our citizens to be law abiding and continue to pray to God to deliver us from all the unwarranted attacks.
“The assistance received at the camps were clear indications that we have good spirited individuals and groups who are very much concerned on the plight of the Atyap people to the extent of making such sacrifices with various donations since the inception of the camps.
“From August, 2021 to date, 41 people have been killed in different attacks. Three people were killed in Gora Gida and one car burned, a woman was killed in her farm in Unguwan Jaba, four persons in Abuyab, one in Manchong, 17 were killed in Madoo and houses burned down while two people were killed in their farms in Kurmin Masara.
“Apiyejim/Kibori, where 13 people including the Senior Reverend of ECWA Church, were killed in Zango river basin on his way from Kafanchan. With these occurrences, I have every reason to inform my fellow Atyap sons and daughters at home and in diaspora, the world at large that the entire Atyap community is under siege.
“We call on all to come to our rescue before we are all eliminated in our ancestral land. We will through prayers and supplication continue to make our request for peace known to Him.”