Retired police officer’s wife, mother, father, brother, in- laws murdered in Southern Kaduna crisis

A retired police officer identified as ASP
Usman Gambo Kobin, from Kobin, Numana
Chiefdom in Sanga LGA of Kaduna
state, wrote about how he lost his wife,
mother, father, brother and in-laws in a
recent attack in Southern Kaduna. He
shared his story to facebook user, Olutoyosi
Omotoso. Read below…

My name is ASP
Usman Gambo Kobin, I
am a retired police
officer, I am from
Kobin, Numana
Chiefdom, Sanga LGA
of Kaduna state.

We learnt that some people were killed in
Nandu, and some in Kabamu all in
Numana Chiefdom.
I then went to my old father around 7am
and said, “baba, I don’t know what may
happen to us today based on what we have
been told but stay at home and don’t move
around.”
A Fulani man had actually hinted us of the
impending attack but it was hard to ever
imagine that our Fulani neighbours would
come around to attack us.
Then around 1:30 pm, we suddenly heard
gunshots. They had launched their attack.
Without any weapon, and nowhere we
could escape to, I told my wife to remain
indoors and let us be killed with dignity in
our home.
But, she was too scared and insisted she
wanted to run out believing she may
escape. She then ran out as shooting was
still going on.
My 104-year-old dad whom I asked to stay
indoors was outside and he was the first
casualty of the attack as they shot him
outside.
After some time the shooting came close to
my house, behind my room and since they
were in my backyard, that meant that the
entire village had been surrounded.
You could hear the screaming and
shrieking of women and children the
invaders were just killing everyone.
It was horrible. They shot dead my wife as
she ran out trying to escape. At the end of
the shooting, nine of my relations were
gunned down.
I lost my father, Madaki aged 104; my elder
brother, Paul aged 70; my wife, Salamatu
Gambu aged 56 years; two of my brothers’
wives, Hadiza Danjuma, 35 and Helen
Fedelis, 40 and the young son of my elder
brother.
Also killed were the wives of my elder
brother’s two sons as well as elder
brother’s grand daughter who was eight
months pregnant.
Among those who carried out the killings
were Fulani who were born and raised in
our village. We know them and they know
us also.
We have been living with them since their
parents gave birth to them in Kobin. We
know them. Their leader is one Yakubu
Alhaji Haruna who is still in Sanga area
and moving freely doing what he likes.
People who were killed in my village were
48. Yes, we buried 48 people in a mass
grave in Kobin. They were killed by people
we gave our land to settle and graze their
cattle without a quarrel.
There was not even a disagreement or
anything between us before the attack. That
is the most annoying aspect of the killings.
The mass grave is there, just beside my
house.
And while killing our people, they were
shouting, “Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!
Allahu Akbar!” (“God is great” in Arabic,
popular with jihadists while on mission).
They were also saying “Ku Kashe Arna!
Kashe Arna” (Kill the pagans! Kill the
Pagans!) I was trapped in my home
watching and listening. Those of us who
survived are however suffering.