Southern Kaduna crisis: Audu Maikori reacts to his online backlash | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Saturday 28 January 2017

Southern Kaduna crisis: Audu Maikori reacts to his online backlash

In the last few days, President of Chocolate City Group, Audu Maikori, has receieved serious backlash on social media following his revelations on the continuous killings of Christians in Southern Kaduna.

Last week, he revealed that 6 students of Kaduna State College of Education were killed by Fulani Herdmen, something the school denied which brough about the back lash. Maikori released a statement last night stating his stand on the matter. Read after the cut...



Dear Fellow Nigerians,
You may be aware of the ongoing engagement on social media where two main allegations were made against me, the first was about my posting fake pictures on social media about the Southern Kaduna killings in my article titled “Not a very merry Christmas for the people of Southern Kaduna” and the second being the killing of Simon my driver’s younger brother James Joseph a 26 year old student of the College of Education Gidan Waya, Kaduna.
Let me address the first matter, the tweet in question did have a picture which was least gory of the ones sent to me but in all honesty I didn’t know the picture was an internet picture, because I was sent dozens of pictures to select from.
To be clear the picture in question was meant to draw the attention of people to the main post, which is on my Facebook page –all of the pictures in the main post are actual pictures of the Southern Kaduna Killings. Shortly after posting the pictures, several parents called me and asked that I remove the gory ones because of children who may come across it on my timeline-which I did.
So I sincerely apologize for posting a picture, which I erroneously believed to have been original and many of us are guilty of such mistakes when you have a barrage of pictures to chose from. Nevertheless I have attached real and verified pictures of the carnage in Southern Kaduna, which are definitely gorier than the one I erroneously posted- I apologize as the pictures will be quite graphic but I feel I there is a need to present all the facts. Here is the link again
On the second matter, I have released a video of my driver recounting what transpired. This video was recorded on the morning of the 23rd of January 2017, thereafter I tweeted the facts as conveyed to me while simultaneously making arrangements for my driver to travel the following day for his brothers burial. I sent messages of this occurrence to Senator Laah Danjuma, Sunny Katung the representative from my constituency and several other Southern Kaduna leaders to alert them of what had transpired even before I tweeted it. The story was picked and published by the Vanguard newspaper on the morning of the 24th of January2017.
Yesterday the 26th of January 2017, the internet went agog with news that the story was false and even produced a letter which ostensibly was from the College of Education itself purporting that no students were killed, the school wasn’t in session and that the Vanguard had peddled and perpetrated false news. The letter is curious on three main points:
Firstly, the article by the Vanguard was published on the 24rd of January 2017, yet the letter from the school was written and dated the 23rd of January 2017! Meaning they preempted the Vanguard story a whole 24hrs before it went live!
The second point is the level of efficiency of the College of Education in being able to carry out a census of all its students, even though the school was on break and (on the very same day the matter was reported to them), they were still able to ascertain that no student was killed. Please note that my driver only heard of his brother’s death the previous night.
Lastly, The letter was not signed and the letter has no reference number meaning that any decent typist in a business centre could have written same- this is what I suspect happened here. To what end? To discredit me as the leading voice that is speaking up against the pogrom in Kaduna.
This matter brings to fore the real situation in our county, that government is so besotted with keeping up appearances that they don’t mind that human beings are being degraded and killed on the daily. Even if only one person was killed, shouldn’t we all be concerned? Shouldn’t we feel outraged? Shouldn’t we be seeking solutions to end it once and for all?
Since then untoward characters have deployed the usual twitter overlords to damage and tarnish my reputation by suggesting that I was paid to create chaos with my advocacy on the Southern Kaduna killings. They alleged that I am doing this for my selfish reasons and for my gain, but the question is what is this gain? I am a son of Kaduna with substantial investments in the state, why would I deliberately stoke the flames of discord, which would indirectly place my family and business at risk?
KADUNA MEDIA CITY/KDSG ETC/SKES
Prior to this recent incident, I have had a fairly good relationship with the Governor of Kaduna himself and his team, knowing him to be a fair and hospitable man. Over the past year I have worked closely with his team on projects aimed at creating jobs and opportunities for the people of Kaduna State. For instance, I was part of the Kaduna Economic and Investment forum in 2016 and spoke at one of their panels about investment opportunities in the state. In October 2016, the Kaduna State Executive Council approved our proposed Kaduna Creative and Media City- probably the first of its kind in Africa, which is targeted to create over 10,000 jobs for the people of the state over five years through a PPP model.
On the 1st of December 2016, I chaired a team that organized the first ever Southern Kaduna Economic Summit, which held in Sabo, Kaduna State and the KDSG as usual was very supportive. The Deputy Governor was represented by his Chief of Staff; The Economic adviser to the Governor attended, Two commissioners, and top management including the SA Media to the Governor attended. In the summit we enlightened people of the various opportunities in agriculture, solid minerals and enterprise being promoted by the government and the crucial role of PPP in developing Kaduna.
The point of the above is to state that I have never had any personal or business issues with the Governor or his team. So if anyone is of the belief that I am doing this for some selfish reason, they should note that I have much more to lose than gain by calling out the government over its failure to secure the lives of my people. I chose to speak out so we could draw the attention of the government to the dire situation.
So contrary to what is being said, I had/have a lot to lose both personally and financially by speaking up about the crises instead of keeping quiet like most people did. But I couldn’t be quiet; I couldn’t bear to see the suffering that the people were going through, so after attending several meetings and consultations, I realized that there was almost intentional plan to suppress the carnage going on in Southern Kaduna. So I decided to write – because I didn’t want to be misinterpreted I wrote out a very detailed paper chronicling events as they happened. Please find the link here. https://web.facebook.com/audumaikori/posts/10154000363611050?ref=notif&notif_t=like&notif_id=1482484954108756&_rdr
Why am I writing this? Because when Maryam Abubakar the Special Adviser to the Governor tweeted this morning that I “ tell lies for my selfish reason” I was taken aback considering she was part and parcel of all negotiations we had in respect of the media city and if I was a liar I wouldn’t have been chosen to partner with the state government on such a very important project that is meant for the betterment of the people of the state.
Prior to this some people had called to warn me that the government was upset about my statements and I had shrugged it off because as far as I knew the Governor /government based on our relationship -would simply consider my statements as that of a concerned citizen trying to bring attention to a brewing matter and not view me as a trouble maker. In my way I was trying to help. But clearly , this was misconstrued to mean I was fighting against the KDSG. So interestingly, instead of my Fulani brothers to be at the lead of my attack – it was social media paid hands from South west that chose to attack me instead of attacking the matter of the deaths of hundreds of people.
This point is key, we are talking about hundreds of deaths and thousands of displaced citizens while the anti Audu campaign was soley worried about one picture that they claimed was on the internet. Has it come to this Nigeria? That we no longer care about our brothers and sisters but rather play politics with everything inspite of the fact that we are suffering? That our people both Fulani and from Southern Kaduna are dying?
Finally, I recently started a campaign called #RebuildingSouthernKadunaand my intention was clear; I wanted us to move on from the hate and begin to seek peace. Indeed I had also reached out to a few Fulani brothers to broker a meeting to see how we can resume peace talks to help us move from the rhetoric of killings to peace, to move from counting how many houses were razed to how many new roofs we can raise, from pointing accusatory fingers at each other to shaking hands with one another and this is the spirit we need right now.
I never quite understood that my heartfelt intentions were being read as political and capable of destabilizing the government. I have no regrets whatsoever, and where I have erred I apologize but I will not stop speaking my truth, I will not stop speaking up for people who do not have a voice.
Lets us not be distracted with the noise, people are being killed everyday and we still call on the government to do their constitutional duty of protecting lives and security.
God bless Nigeria

38 comments:

Edwards said...

suis désolé pour agir stupide, mais j'ai besoin urg.... saphire Muna saphire Muna saphire Muna

Unknown said...

Plenty talk with no action.

Unknown said...

Thank u heavenly dude for this great information.HELL RUFAI IS ON A MISSION BUT GOD OF JUSTICE WILL DISGRACE HIM AND HIS FULANI COHORTS. Christians arise arise arise ooooooo is time to defend una selfs before Muslims turns una into suya.WHY IS SHAMELESS PASTORS HATER CALL FREEZE KEEPING SILENT HUH? FOOLISH IDIOT IF NA TO JEALOUS OF OYEDEPO AND ADEBOYE THAT'S WHERE WE SEE U JOBLESS HUNGRY YELLOW FEVER.
freeborn wept!

TERRORIST IMBECILIC WALKING DEAD HUMAN BUHARI UR DAYS OF DOOM AND GNASHING OF TEETHS ARE HERE U WILL NOT GO FREE FOR THE CRIME U HAVE COMMITTED AGAINST humanity,CHRISTIANS,NIGER DELTANS AND IPOD MEMBERS U WILL NOT KNOW PEACE in life.FOR SENDING ur FULANIs AND MUSLIMs TO BE SLAUGHTERING CHRISTIANS EVERY DAY U WILL END UP LIKE CHICKEN SAYS THE GODS OF FREEBORN. Papa Donald j trump is coming for u and ur hausa Muslims soon FOR KILLING INNOCENT 5000 IPOD MEMBERS that are doing peaceful rally for him.FREEBORN'S MEETING WITH TRUMP CHILDREN IN TRUMP TOWER new York WILL NOT BE IN VAIN i am coming back to that headless chicken call Nigeria for ur burial any one that don't want this should join terrorist buhari an DIE simple and short.






























#sad indeed

Unknown said...

I was born in Kaduna in 1986 and one of the first memories I had a child was running after the blast of some trumpet in the distance. There are memories of streets running with blood, bodies mangled, headless... Women, Men, Babies. Nothing has been spared the carnage, and apparently these days, the truth is under the knife.

The many souls, cut from this earth by needless violence will be silenced by executive orders to peddle lies aimed at discrediting the truth. I believe in my lifetime, justice will find her balance and truth will find its freedom from those who gag her.

Bree said...

Where is sai baba sef...

Anonymous said...

God bless Audi Maikori for speaking up despite all!!!

lami said...

Weldon, we need more of your type who are selfless and stand for just causes.

Unknown said...

mthcew mad man
-D great anonymous now as Vivian Reginalds

Unknown said...

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Unknown said...

I pray the school authority will finally confirm this claim,but the truth be told people, mostly Christians are been killed on daily basis, and no one is talking,but the few that are talking have been made to suffer it.
Why must we be keeping quit?,are Christians second class citizens in this country. We hear of a pastor being killed,but later the culprit were released,is that justice.
If you refuse talking and you keep criticising, tomorow it may be you,a friend or a close family member.
#NoToTheKillingOfChristians.

NaijaDeltaBabe said...

Dey always ve something to say


...merited happiness

Kate said...

Hmmmmmm......May God Almighty fight our battles IJN

Anonymous said...

mheeen see scrip,cant believe i read all

Anonymous said...

Nigeria go survive. If we make it through this government, we have conquered.

Unknown said...

Audu my Brother from another Mother you have clearly identified the mistake of the picture.Please don't stop speaking the truth a lot of times people just want to castigate the truth .If any politician has a hand in creating all this mayhem that keep befalling Christians in any part of this country they certainly wouldn't end their term in office by the Grace of God Almighty .They should know that what goes around comes around .Remember hv got your back & the Lord will continue to protect you in Jesus mighty name.Amen.Remain focused!

Unknown said...

Their wahala... dee

Oghenetega said...

Shut up Audi or Na Audu U call urself..
Why not verify before posting & the school claimed non of there students was killed.. why do U wanna heat up the system that's been boiling with more Fire without proper verification? ?..Abeg carry that your I too know self away from here...
Apology not accepted..Liar Liar Looking for attention.. I will say U should pick a Tent with a particular Ibadan Lunatic that they just Finished her Life on the internet all the way from US...
Yeyebrity..

flaky said...

Thank you for this eye opener. If the government has failed to see or feel what her people are going through then someone should point it out to them. Instead of finding a lasting solution to southern Kaduna killings, they are busy chasing shadows and looking for whom to blame, may be they should have a feel, then they would understand.

Hrm Paul said...

See the long story way dis guy write who get time to read am.dis happens wen u don lie lie so they u no com sabi d truth to extricate ur self u go begin write long epistle Audi makori who u help park well joor

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm. El-rufai, God is watching you oh.

Anonymous said...

God bless you Sir. These people killing should know that it can't continue this way, people will fight to protect their family just like they would to theirs. innocent people for Pete's sake? the question is why are they killing these people? can anyone please answer the question WHY???

Unknown said...

God bless u audu.
Signed
LibBadBoy

Unknown said...

Well written, pls don't be silent,the killings are real. Every life matters

Unknown said...

HMMMMM






AUNTY LINDA 👩






PLEASE KINDLY FOLLOW ME ON LIS @OKECHUKWU NNODUECHI

Anonymous said...

Your reward is only God that will give it to you and your generation in Jesus name Amen

Anonymous said...

So many killings are going on in Nogeria but they are bn swept under the carpet, if u guys know how many military men that die everyday in d hands of bokoharam una go feat this country, the government cover up so many atrocities and killings but God will deliver this country

Anonymous said...

The lives of Nigerians mean nothing to the so called government. They are only concerned about occupying the seat of power and controlling the country's resources, the people can go to hell for all they care. We do not have a government because the primary duty of a government is to protect the lives of the citizens, a government that is incapable of doing this is no government.

Anonymous said...

People like you need more education . U can't read , makes you a dunce

Unknown said...

If you want to hide something from an African put it in writing. To read is too big a work for you. You don't understand what he's putting across and you're saying rubbish

Anonymous said...

@vivian, now I know you're evil

Anonymous said...

When it happens to someone close to you, make sure you still talk like this ok! Obviously, you're evil and one of the heartless blood ducking demons...fulani muslem evil being

Anonymous said...

Thank you...this particular govt's interest is islamization. So no aota of agenda for the security and welfare of Nigerians.

Ada bekee said...

You would be threatened Audu. But God will fight for you. I saw those pictures and whether they are real or fake, I don't care. It doesn't down play the fact that there is a killing spree going on. Have you forgotten how this government came to power? By manipulating the truth through paid twitter lords and social media activist of which one is a member of this blog. What a shame!!! I stand with you Audu. It takes courage to do what you have done. And those who have been paid to adulterate the truth, may your families not die like chickens. Because he who supports the sword would die by it.

Anonymous said...

Welldone Audu, continue speaking for ur people, one day they will see for themselves, our God of justice shall surely do His thing soon. He will silence them once and for all. Every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord very soon bet u me.

JAO said...

Big ups Audu.

Anonymous said...

love you Audu. Dont be afraid

Shagaiya04 said...

I stand with you Audu on this matter, well said.

Unknown said...

Please continue to speak up for your helpless people because that is why God endowed you with the ability which you possess. I returned to Biafra from my cozy and comfortable abode in USA to join the Biafran Army to fight for my Igbo people. If fulani herds-men attack my town tomorrow i will mobilse my people to fight back even if we have to chase them into the bedrooms of Governors Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai of Kaduna state and Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nassarawa state.

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