‘Retired security officers fuelling crises in Kaduna’

From AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

The Commander of Operation Safe Haven, Maj.-Gen. Augustine Agundu, has asked farmers and herders in southern part of Kaduna State to surrender illegal weapons or risk arrest.

He alleged that some retired security officers of Southern Kaduna extraction were promoting violence, adding that they would be arrested.

The commander, who spoke yesterday in Kafanchan during Kaduna State Government and Defence Headquarters’ Operation Safe Haven’s meeting with stakeholders in Southern Kaduna, said farmers and herders must stop taking the law into their hands.

Maj.-Gen. Agundu, who spoke about why Kaduna people must live in peace with one another, advised residents to identify and report criminals in their communities to security agencies.

He said: “Farmers and herders carrying illegal firearms must surrender them to the nearest security post to avoid arrest.

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“Farmers and herders must always report grievances to security personnel, especially the military, rather than taking the law into their hands. This will not be tolerated.

“As a farmer, you don’t need to kill another person who destroys your farm because we cannot buy life. We must stop stealing cows. I advise herdsmen to stop using children to rear cows. They should avoid night rearing. Let us isolate the bad ones, the criminals that cut across all the tribes. We must tolerate one another.”

The commander, who had visited the Chief of Kagoro and Emir of Jama’a at their palaces, called for tolerance among residents and warned troublemakers to leave Southern Kaduna or face the full wrath of the law.

Chief of Kagoro Mr. Ufuwai Bonat and Emir of Jama’a Mohammad Isah Mohammad hailed the security agents for working to restore peace in Southern Kaduna.

They enjoined residents to give peace a chance.

Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs Mr. Samuel Aruwan, who represented Governor Nasir El-Rufai, said that the government would partner the Defence Headquarters and other security agencies for peace.