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Buhari unhappy Kaduna killings didn't get world's attention like Khashoggi's assassination

The president fears Nigeria is pushing itself towards irrelevance on the world stage.
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President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his displeasure with how the killing of over 80 people in Kaduna State failed to get the worlds attention like the assassination of Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi.

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He said the failure of the tragic spate of violence to attract attention means Nigeria is pushing itself towards irrelevance on the world stage.

The president said this during a meeting with stakeholders in Kaduna State during his condolence visit to the state on Tuesday, October 30, 2018.

"I observed that more than 75 people were killed in Kaduna alone and I haven't seen anything about it. It means we are pushing ourselves as a nation and a people towards irrelevance, seen by the world itself," he said.

The Saudi government has been under world scrutiny since it was accused of killing Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on October 2. The outspoken journalist was reportedly killed by a 15-person team of Saudi hit squad allegedly on the orders of Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

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How over 80 were killed in Kaduna

Four people, including a police officer, were killed when a monarch, Agom Adara, Maiwada Galadima, his wife and driver were abducted at Maikyali village, along Kaduna-Kachia road, in Kachia local government area of the state on October 19.

Even though his wife and driver were later released, the monarch was killed by his abductors on October 26.

His abduction happened in  the wake of another crisis that claimed the lives of 55 people during a communal clash at Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru LGA.

The wave of violence is believed to have started after two people were killed in a market clash between Hausa Muslim and Adara Christian youths following a dispute among wheelbarrow porters.

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A second attack was reported to have been carried out by Adara youths who reportedly mobilised and attacked Hausa residents on Thursday, October 18.

"Most of the killings were done in the second attack which took the Hausa community off guard,"Muhammadu Bala, a Kasuwar Magani resident who lost his home to the crisis, told AFP.

With curfew declared across the affected areas, the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) disclosed that a further 23 people were killed in various parts of Kaduna metropolis during another wave of violence that took place on Sunday, October 21.

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