Southern Kaduna: Indigenous peace building group condemns renewed violence
*Tasks security agencies to urgently arrest,prosecute perpetrators
*Accuses SOKAPU of allegedly peddling "lies" capable of worsening situation
*Hails OPSH,other internal security outfits for efforts at restoring normalcy
*Appeals to stakeholders in peace devt. to join in peace building efforts
An Southern Kaduna peace building group,operating under the aegis of Southern Kaduna Peace Practitioners Network (SOKIPEP),has condemned the renewed violence in the area which it noted, has claimed a number of lives and property in the area.
It describes the development as the handiwork of those it referred to as "criminal elements" benefiting from the ugly situation and charged the security agencies not only urgently apprehend them but also make them face the full wrath of the law over their actions.
But the group,in a statement, Friday,by its national coordinator,Rev. Dauda Fadia, cautioned the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), an umbrella body of Southern Kaduna natives which it accused its leadership of fueling the crisis in the area with ceaseless biased comments and statements.
It tasked SOKAPU to drop its approach and call some deviant youths fueling crisis in Southern Kaduna to order, as according to it,the continuous profiling of one party as aggressors would rather worsen the situation.
However,the group hailed Operation Safe Haven (OPSH),an internal military outfit working for the restoration of peace in the area and other security agencies for their efforts so far in ensuring that peace reigns.
"We condemn in the strongest term the killings of innocent farmers and herdsmen in Southern Kaduna by criminal elements from both sides of the divide and appeal to security agencies to immediately apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime against humanity,"SOKIPEP said in the statement.
It appreciated the efforts of OPSH and the Sector 7 Commander of the security outfit and it thus read:"We want to sincerely appreciate the tireless and exceptional efforts of the new Commander of Operation Safe Haven, OPSH Major General I.S Ali, the special military task force in charge of Southern Kaduna and its Sector Commander in Sector 7, Kafanchan and their officers and men for their selfless efforts toward the restoration of law and order in the area."
According to the group,"We are particularly pleased with approach they are adopting to end this crisis."
"The engagement of stakeholders , community groups and peace builders in the Southern Kaduna by the task force is already paying off. We enjoin the commander to sustain it,"it said, adding:""We appeal to them not to be discouraged by the deliberate blackmail by some enemies of peace just to score sentimental points. They should remain resolute and do their work professionally."
The group which expressed its unflinching support to the internal security outfits, insisted that it was time for peace building practitioners to work to the emplacement of total and sustainable peace in the area.
" We in the entire peace building community are solidly behind them. We appreciate all they do to keep us safe. We want to appeal to all the peace practitioners to come on board and support the peace process in Southern Kaduna," it said.
Part of the statement read:" Our attention has been drawn to a daily daylight lies and outright distortion of facts in the renewed crisis in Southern Kaduna by the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU)
" We would have ordinarily ignored them because lie is one of the major aims and objectives of SOKAPU but for the sake of innocent readers who may not be abreast with the reality of things in Southern Kaduna and its environ.
While not justifying the senseless killings of innocent farmers in our locality by some criminal herdsmen,it is pertinent to state that the renewed crisis in Southern Kaduna was caused by some sponsored criminals in our locality who we suspect were obviously working for some crises merchants.
"The killings and rustling of cattle by these criminals no doubt shattered the peace process earlier emplaced by security agencies, especially the Operation Safe Haven. We expected SOKAPU, being our umbrella body to state the facts as they happened but unfortunately,this was not the case.
" Until SOKAPU and other groups of questionable characters within our locality start speaking the truth and exposing some of our youths who are criminals, this crisis will not stop.
"We can’t continue to pretend that we are not aware that on 7th July 2021, some of our youths took laws into their hands and attack some Fulani herdsmen in Gora Gan Community, killing about eight of them including women and children besides rustling their cattle without any form of provocation.
"The next day, some of our deviant youths went on rampage thus burning down all the hamlets belonging to Fulani in Southern Kaduna.
It is on record that when some patriotic members of the community tried to speak to them on the need to embrace dialogue,they threatened all of us with death.
"We cannot also pretend that we are not aware of how some of our local farmers poisoned Fulani cattle almost on a daily basis which resulted in the death of about 650 cattle in Southern Kaduna. We expected SOKAPU to come out to condemm this act in the strongest possible terms but where was SOKAPU then?
"Our youths with the active connivance of some keys leaders in our locality have turned stealing of cattle into lucrative business and our elders are aware of these facts.
" If we must seek equity,we must go with clean hands. We observed with regret that there is a huge conspiracy of silence on the part of some of our elders, who instead of speaking the truth against some of our criminal youths, have hidden under religious and ethnic sentiments. "Enough of this if we value peace."
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