The Kaduna State Police Command has confirmed making some arrests in connection with serial attacks in Southern Kaduna even as it made clarifications about the death toll and defended its handling of the issue.

Commissioner of Police (CP) Femi Adenaike at a press briefing yesterday evening said two police men died on the spot while a woman died about two days later in the hospital.

He clarified issues thus: “Some of you have been calling to find out what has been happening in Kajuru. Let me go back to the incident that happened when the police division was attacked during which 13 gunmen attacked the police station between 11:30 and 12 midnight on that day.

“Two police men died on the spot while the woman died about two days later in the hospital. As I am speaking to you here a woman police is still in the hospital with very serious wounds on the neck.

“We went after this people that attacked us. So far we have been able to arrest four major ones that actually took part in this attack. The indigenes of Kajuru were very helpful. They search for these Fulanis. They actually arrested one of them and eventually killed him.

“We said we cannot allow this to continue. We immediately took others from them and went after them and arrest them.

“After this incident about a week or thereabout, three Fulanis were killed. These Fulanis were coming from all the way from Soba for a wedding ceremony and they were attacked and killed.

“The information got to us, we moved to that scene but unfortunately we could not locate where their bodies were kept.

“It took us close to four days of searching the bush and combing all over the place before we could locate where they were buried in shallow graves.

“We took the bodies to 44 Armed Forces Hospital for the families to identify and for autopsy to be done on them. After this, the Fulani wrote a petition complaining bitterly about these three boys that were killed and their motor cycles burnt.

“They gave us the lead to the people that actually took part in the killing of these boys. Very early this morning (3/09/13) we went in search of these boys.

“We were able to arrest eight people as early as one a.m. this morning. As from 3am this morning the local government chairman started calling me that due to our activities in Kajuru, that is the arrest of these suspected murderers that there is tension in Kajuru so I told him that he should hang on a little let us screen them before the day breaks but he was very impatient as he kept on calling me until about 6:30 a.m.

“By that time we discovered that six of them were not actually among, so as early as six oclock this morning we were able to release six of them, leaving two behind.

“I personally interrogated the two of them and I discovered that one can still be left off the hook because we don’t have enough evidence to hold him.

“So the only one that is left is the one that the petitioner included his name in the petition that he was part of those people that killed three people that died in the bush, the youths in Kajuru had blocked the road since 3am in the morning and we sent emissary to them which includes traditional rulers, politicians, that they should allow us to do our job, and when we find him not guilty, we will release him to go.

“So we kept on waiting, even the governor appealed to them but they refused to budge. When it was about 2pm this afternoon, we had to use tear gas on them because a lot of innocent people have suffered, travelers, tanker drivers who ply that road were stranded.

“So we have to use tear gas on them. As I am talking to you, they are already out of the road; the road is clear and movement very free.”

•Photo shows a group of policemen on duty.

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