Outrage over killings in Southern Kaduna

Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has urged the Federal Government to evolve ways of stopping the killings and insecurity in Southern Kaduna. ACF’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Yawe made the call in a statement in Kaduna, Daily Times gathered.

He said that ACF was worried over the spate of insecurity and killings in the area, saying, “the federal government needs to muster the political will to tackle this menace.” Yawe said there were reports of renewed violence in Chikum, Zangon Kataf and Kaura Local Government Areas. The publicity secretary urged the security agencies to step up their activities in the troubled areas in the interest of the people.

“The people are getting tired of unfulfilled promises and assurances from the security agencies, they need to rise up in defense of the people,” he said. He also urged the people of Southern Kaduna to break the barriers of tribe and religion and work together to trigger lasting peace in the area. The Kaduna State Government recently set up a white paper committee on the report of the investigative committee on Zangon Kataf riot of 1992.

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The government had also imposed a 24-hour curfew in Chikun and Zangon Kataf local government areas. Similarly, Malam Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the Senate from 2015 to 2019, has called on the Kaduna state government and security agencies to seek out better strategies toward ending killings in the state. Sani made the call in on Friday in Abuja.

“The security agencies may be doing their best, but that best is not enough. The attacks have continued unabated.

“My opinion is that politics and prejudice are sustaining the crisis in the south of Kaduna state. “When the security forces cannot protect the people and the people cannot protect themselves, they become lambs in the forests of hyenas.

“The government should step up efforts to bring an end to this mass murder in the interest of peace and unity of our country.

“Terrorists should have no succour or solace,’’ he said. NAN reports that many rural communities have come under severe attacks in the south of the north-western state, with many killed and even more rendered homeless. Meanwhile, the Governors Fórum of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged security agencies to re-strategise and concentrate on emerging threats to national security currently being experienced in many parts of the country.

The forum listed the threats to include banditry, Boko Haram insurgency and kidnapping of innocent Nigerians. The Forum Chairman and Governor of Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal, in a statement by the Director-General of the forum, CID Maduabum, said that Nigerians deserved full concentration on these issues in order to quell the monster.

Tambuwal condemned the “purported” swearing in of some former members elect and purported election of new presiding officers for Edo House of Assembly in Benin on Thursday as well as the invasion of the assembly complex by police officers. He said that the forum had reviewed the recent disturbing developments in the state. He described the invasion of the complex as an attempt to give cover to the unlawful and illegal attempt to seize the house of assembly in aid of unconstitutional acts being hatched by some former members -elect of the assembly.

“The forum further condemns as illegal, unconstitutional, and an act of impunity, the purported swearing in of some former members elect and purported election of new presiding officers in a private residence in Benin without the legitimate officials of the house as required by law.

“It is the height of political brigandage and desperation. Why are the perpetrators of this illegal and unlawful activity afraid of facing the electorate in a free and fair election?

“Why are they afraid of the giant strides and impressive performance of His Excellency, Gov. Godwin Obaseki?

“We warn against any attempt to effect an unconstitutional takeover of either legislative or executive power in Edo.”

The forum appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to caution security agencies to remain neutral in Edo and not lend its authority to unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional acts of a desperate gang of power mongers.

“We consequently request an emergency meeting of the Nigeria Police Council to deal with the increasing unconstitutional use of the police authorities for partisan politics.

“We call on the people of Edo to remain vigilant, but peaceful in resisting any attempt to desecrate democracy and constitutionalism in the state,” the forum added.