By AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

The leaderships of the various Nigeria’s socio-political organisations on Saturday paid a solidarity visit on the people of Southern Kaduna over the incessant killings in their communities.

The visit by Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Pan Niger Delta Forum and the Middle Belt Forum (PANDEF) coincided with protests carried out by youths from the troubled area, who stormed the state capital with chants of “enough is enough”.

The protests paralysed activities at the junction of the Kaduna Refinery and Petroleum Company (KRPC).

The delegation of the socio-political organisations, who visited Southern Kaduna yesterday, announced a collective donation of N2 million in aid to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the Gonin-Gora camp and seized the opportunity to renewed their call for the restructuring of Nigeria.

Speaking at the IDPs camp after visiting some of the affected communities, the National Chairman of PANDEF, Air Commodore Idengesit Nkanga (rtd) said they were in Kaduna to identify with the “long suffering people of Southern Kaduna”.

The PANDEF Chairman said: “The overall leader of the PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, has asked that we come along with the delegation of the Southern and Middle Belt Forum to identify with you all at this time and season, to encourage that the season will never remain like this.

“He (Clark) said we should encourage you that even if you don’t see us from afar, it does not mean that you are not on our minds. So, we are here to demonstrate our support.

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“This is not the best of times. This is not the kind of forum we would have loved to come and share with you.

“We are here principally to assure you that those of us on the other side of the Niger – the South-South people – are with you in spirit, soul and flesh.”

Taking his own turn, the spokesman of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, who accused the Presidency of serving as the mouthpiece of the attackers of Southern Kaduna people, said the delegation were in the state to commiserate with the natives who had been under “genocide.”

According to him, for the authorities to say that the attackers were out for revenge, means the government knows the attackers.

Odumakin said it is unfortunate that security operatives looked the other way while genocide was being carried out on the Southern Kaduna people and “the people are being told that the killing was a revenge.”

Odumakin added: “We are here today to say that the God almighty will bring justice to the land. Those they killed will not be killed in vein.

“Who are these people and who spoke for them and who did they complain to? Whoever said that type of thing knows where the attackers are coming from.

“Our position is that for the South-south, Southwest, Southeast and the Middle Belt, whatever attacks one, attacks all. So, the attacks against Southern Kaduna are attacks against all of us. That is why we are here this afternoon to commiserate with you.”

Also, the National President of the Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo, Dr. Onyia Nwodo, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to save the country from an imminent collapse following the spate of insecurity in the country.

Nwodo, who was represented on the occasion by the President of the Ohanaeze group in Kaduna, Chief Ben Churchill-Aniekwena, said: “It is quite pathetic and sad. We feel what you feel. But God is watching.

“At this stage, may I draw the attention of all the state apparatus of coercion; I mean the Inspector-General of Police, other security forces, the judiciary and the Commander -in – Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, to do the needful to save this country from total and imminent collapse. Enough is enough.”

President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, said Nigeria needs some critical changes. He therefore renewed the call for the restructuring of the country where power would not be too concentrated in the federal government.

He argued that the people of Southern Kaduna would not have suffered the persistent attacks being currently experienced if they were under the native police.

Bitrus said: “We have been crying for the restructuring of this country. If there were native police, will they allow these people to kill you? No. But we have everything centred in the Federal Government – police, military and others. So, they don’t have commitment to you. That is why we are crying for restructuring so that we can be defended by our people.”

Expressing appreciation to the visitors on behalf of Southern Kaduna, the National President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), Hon. Jonathan Asake, said the visit marked a genuine concern for humanity and love for his people.

Asake noted with regrets that instead of the authorities to tackle the genocide on Southern Kaduna, both the state and federal governments were busy justifying it.

“I want to use this opportunity to say thank you to our brothers from the South-south, South-west, Southeast and, of course, the Middle Belt, who have found time to come to Southern Kaduna to commiserate with us as the continued onslaught on our communities; the invasion on our communities and the genocide that have been going on,” Asake said.

Meanwhile, the Southern Kaduna protesters who earlier stormed the major highways connecting the state capital with Kaduna South Senatorial zone, dressed in black attires to depict a mourning mood.

They accused both the federal and state governments of not working their talk to end what they called “genocide” in their area.

Some of the inscriptions on their placards read, “End killings in Southern Kaduna”, “We cannot continue like this”, “Southern Kaduna lives matter”, “Government has failed us”, “Allow us to defend ourselves if you can’t” among others.

They however vowed not to retreat until some of them who were picked by the police are brought back.

Confirming the arrest of an unspecified number of the protesters to our correspondent, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Muhammad Jalige said the arrests were made because there was no prior notification on the procession.

“Yes, some of them were arrested because they did not inform us about the protest. I cannot tell you how many of them were picked now, but I will get back to you later,” he said.