NEMA denies calling governor `liar’ over Kajuru killings

Mr Ishaya Chonoko, North-West Zonal Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has dismissed a media report in which he was quoted as denying that the killings in Kajuru, Kaduna State, did not take place. Chonoko made the denial in a statement he signed and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna […]

Mr Ishaya Chonoko, North-West Zonal Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has dismissed a media report in which he was quoted as denying that the killings in Kajuru, Kaduna State, did not take place.

Chonoko made the denial in a statement he signed and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Monday,

“I want to use this opportunity to categorically deny that I ever said that the governor lied over the killings in the local government area.

“I am fully aware of the limit of my responsibilities; therefore, I could not have deliberately contradicted information from the governor, who is the Chief Security Officer of the state,” he stated.

According to him, the report carried by a national daily was not a true reflection of his response when the reporter raised the issue of the killings in Kajuru.

Chonoko explained that when the issue was raised by the reporter, he advised him to get the details from security agencies and apologized to the people of the state, including the state governor over the erroneous report.

He said that NEMA would undertake an assessment visit to the affected communities and render appropriate support, but requested that the newspaper correct the misrepresentation of his comment.

NAN reports that 66 people were reported dead in eight villages in Kajuru local government area last Monday following an attack. (NAN)