As mindless attacks in various communities in Southern Kaduna have continued to generate tension in the area, ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE engaged stakeholders on the permanent solutions to the crises.
On the eve of the botched presidential and National Assembly elections, news of the killings of 66 persons in an armed attack on a Fulani community in Kajuru, Kaduna State, was broken by the state government. But organisations like the Southern Kaduna People’s Forum (SOKAPU) and Adara Development Association (ADA) kicked, questioning the figure, as well as the timing of the disclosure.
SOKAPU president, Solomon Musa, a lawyer, expressed doubt on the number of persons who were claimed to have died in the attack. The leadership of the Fulani community, on the other hand, raised questions on the whereabouts of the bodies of those allegedly killed in Ungwan Barde, the Adara community. In fact, they denied the reported attack on the Adara community.
While the controversy raged on, fresh attacks were carried out in villages around Kajuru Local Government and lately, in Sanga Local Government Area, leaving over one hundred citizens dead at the end of the attacks.
Subsequently, Adara people took to the streets of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, on Tuesday to protest the killings in Kajuru.
Also disturbed by the development in the area, some stakeholders have spoken on the way out of the crises.
The President of Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU), Solomon Musa, said the first thing to do in an attempt to end the killings in Kajuru and other places, especially in Southern Kaduna, is to identify the killers and punish them.
He, however, said that the state governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, would be of immense help in fishing out the killers.
According to Musa, “Talking about the way forward, the question is, who are the attackers? It is better to start from there. Now, the governor of Kaduna State was very kind enough in 2016 when he told the world that the attackers of Southern Kaduna people are Fulani from 14 African countries, and that he sat down with them, he negotiated with them and paid them compensation.
“Now, if you paid people compensation and they are still killing, then it has turned out to be a reward. Then, the right thing to do is to either invite el-Rufai or go to him and say, Your Excellency, you disclosed to us that, you know the criminals who are attacking the people of Southern Kaduna, can you tell us where you met them so that we can now invite or arrest them? So, Governor el-Rufai is a material witness that is supposed to help in the investigation.
“Number two, it is very shocking that, the victims who are being attacked in their own villages, their leaders are now the ones being arrested; nine of them have been arrested and remanded in prison. So, there is need for all the Adara leaders who have been unjustly incarcerated to be released.
“Also, the state government seems to have a problem with the Adara people. After the attack in Sanga, they took some relief materials there, but those of Adara land, nothing has been done.
“In the North-East, the Federal Government established what is called the North-East Development Commission, and part of its mandate is rebuilding, reconstruction, rehabilitation, relief intervention and others. Now, so many communities have been levelled to the ground in Southern Kaduna, so, there is need to establish the Southern Kaduna Development Commission so that, they will be given the task to rebuild.
“Number four, there is need for the Federal Government to set up a high-powered, impartial investigation on the Southern Kaduna killings. Number five, we cannot move forward without fairness and justice to all by the government,” he said.
The leader of the Fulani community and Secretary-General of Gam Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria (GAFDAN), Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, said dialogue among the affected communities is the surest way to forestall future recurrence of such crises.
Alleging that some people are benefiting from the crises, Dr. Abdullahi stressed the need for the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous crime and make them face the full wrath of the law.
According to him, “First of all, the security agencies should do their work by first identifying the perpetrators of these crimes, so that they can be made to face the wrath of the law.
“Secondly, there must be concerted efforts for dialogue from the grassroots level. Let all the people come together and talk on the way forward, the causes of the crises and how to resolve them, because we have lived together for too long to now allow this to divide us.
“At our own level in our own association, we have started this. We have been discussing with the leaders of the Adara community, and we have got somewhere. Now, we are trying to identify all the people affected from all sides, so that we can bring them together to dialogue.
“So, while making our own little contribution, the security agencies should also do the needful by identifying the culprits. But, no matter how much you do to make people live together, unless you inculcate this spirit of dialogue in them and make them understand that retaliation has never solved any problem and it is not going to solve the problem, we would not be doing justice to the issue.”
The GAFDAN scribe expressed happiness that some suspects have been apprehended. “We are hoping that investigation and prosecution will follow immediately to serve as deterrent to others.
“I am from Southern Kaduna and I know how we have lived peacefully with one another. So, it is our duty to leave the kind of peaceful co-existence that we had enjoyed in the past for our children. “If we continue to accuse one another of one thing or the other without coming together to understand the problems threatening to divide us, we will not live in peace. Of what benefit would it be to exterminate the entire Adara people from the face of this world? Or what will it benefit anyone to want to exterminate our race from the face of the earth? Because, I heard some people saying it was an attempt to wipe out one race or the other.
“I also think there are entrepreneurs of crisis who are benefiting from these crises. My appeal to them is that they should give peace a chance and allow meaningful development to take place.”
Also calling for the punishment of the culprits, the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, an Islamic body opined that implementing reports of the commission of inquiries into the previous crises in the state will solve the problem.
The Secretary of the Council in Kaduna State, Engr. AbdurRahman Hassan, in a telephone interview with The Nation, said those indicted in the previous crises should be punished to serve as deterrent to others.
“For some time now, the Supreme Council for Shari’ah has been making this call to successive governments in Kaduna State, that if these crises must stop, they should dust all the white papers from the previous commissions of inquiry.
“In doing so, all the people indicted in those previous crises should be punished according to the law. If that is done, nobody will ever try to infringe on the rights of other people.
“There is also need for the security agencies to move in, comb the entire area and mop up arms from the people. If that is done, it will also go a long way in stopping the attacks. “The communities too need to understand that, no meaning development can take place where there is crisis. Therefore, we must learn to tolerate ourselves and take advantage of our diversity for the progress of our society rather than killing one another, which benefits no one at the end of the day.
But, the Catholic Bishops of Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province seem to differ with the Shari’ah Council, as they see an immediate stakeholders’ meeting as the best way to addressing the incessant killings. They, however, appealed to the Kaduna State government to as a matter of urgency convene such a meeting.
In a statement jointly signed by the Chairman of the province, His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Matthew Manoso Ndagoso of Kaduna Archdiocese and the Secretary, His Lordship Most Rev. Dr. John Mamasa Niriing (OSA) of Kano Diocese, the bishops lamented that the resumption of what they described as the mindless killings in the Kajuru area of Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State, have come to them with a great shock again.
They noted with dismay that in the last four months alone, the communities have suffered a chain of tragedies, which climaxed with the gruesome murder of their paramount chief, the Agwom Adara, Mr. Maiwada Raphael Galadima, in October last year.
According to them, “We had hoped that this tragedy would alert the state government to the seriousness of the tragedy and alert all sides of the urgency to peaceful co-existence. Unfortunately, the situation seems to be getting worse among the communities around Adara land.
“While the people of Adara still have no traditional ruler, their other leaders have been rounded up under various allegations and have been in detention for a few weeks now. Clearly, these developments have exposed the Adara people to both physical, cultural and psychological insecurity.
“Although these killings continue to carry such labels as farmer-herder clashes, ethno-religious and reprisal killings, they do not explain the existential threat that this poses for the faith of our people in a united Nigeria. It is increasingly clear that the perpetrators of these dastardly acts are not acting as lone rangers. These killings have shown every sign of being well planned, well-co-ordinated and targeted.”
They lamented that thousands of the communities have now lost lives, homes, and all their life savings and earnings. “Ours are communities of farmers and herders. The rains will soon be here.”
The Catholic bishops, therefore, appealed to the state government to convoke a stakeholders meeting and as well commence a judicial process.
“First, we appeal to the Kaduna State government to consider convening a stake holders’ meeting made up of representatives of a wide segment of the entire state. Such a meeting will include the political and business elite, senior citizens and statesmen and women, civil society groups etc.
“This meeting will help us work towards putting the history of violence behind us and laying the foundation for the genuine development and integration of the people of the state.
“Second, we call for the commencement of a judicial process leading to the trial of anyone judged to be involved in the violence, while setting free those who are innocent. This will help to build more trust among our people,” the clerics said.
Zigwai Ayuba, Executive Director, One Project Afrika, a Non-Govermental Organisation that has been working on peace in Kaduna State said the unfortunate killings going on in Kaduna call for a more drastic measure.
She lamented: “At a time when the killings were happening on a daily basis in Southern Kaduna, no one was prosecuted and now it has moved to Kaduna Central.
“Our level of tolerance is dropping because we have embraced hate against love. The security agencies need to do their work devoid of prejudice and political affiliations.
“The government’s stance on setting up a judicial commission of enquiries will only intensify the rift in the affected communities. The best this is to get people to talk to themselves through dialogue. Let them fight at the table if need be but at the end of the day, all grievances are resolved so they return to their communities and address their people.
“Very importantly when arrests are made, let people be informed of the actions taken because too many arrests have been made and because the security agencies do not want to temper with the powers that be, they sweep most of the cases beneath the carpet. Before any arrest, proper investigation should be carried out not what we see today. The eight LGAs of Southern Kaduna have enjoyed relative peace until lately.
“The number of lives being wasted in Kajuru is alarming! Both the government and the security agencies seem to be overwhelmed but the Federal Government can deploy security because it is an obligation to them to save lives first before any other thing.
“Neutrality of government when lives are lost should be of importance. Let leaders speak love not things that deepen the chasm and remind of our differences over our unity. Citizens also need to place more value on life over everything.”
Meanwhile, the Kaduna State government, in its wisdom, has resolved to set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe the incidences of the renewed killings.
Governor el-Rufai while addressing the survivors of one of the attacks that took place in Karamai, Kajuru Local Government Area, explained that building sustainable peace in the area requires that all the facts around the violent conflict be established.
He condemned the attackers as godless people who are wantonly violating the injunctions of the Holy Books of Christianity and Islam and promised that they would be brought to book.