Southern Kaduna indigenes accuse El-Rufai of incitement, hate speeches

Utomi, civil society leaders to intervene in crisis
Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has accused the State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, of making inciting, hate speeches and putting them on the defensive over the violence in the area.

Besides, the indigenes also faulted the 800 casualty figures the governor quoted in a recent interview with Al jazeera as the number of people killed during the 2011 post presidential election violence in the region, urging the governor to retract the figures and make an unreserved public apology.

When contacted, Spokesman to the governor, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, said: “The Kaduna State government is focused on ensuring that normalcy is restored in the three local government areas of Southern Kaduna that are currently under curfew. Improvements in the security situation are being recorded with the presence of 10 mobile police squadrons and soldiers from two battalions.

“The fatalities from the 2011 post-election violence across the north, including places in Southern Kaduna, are captured in reports by Human Rights Watch and others.

‘’Despite the fact that some of the barbaric events of 2011were captured in photographs, nobody was prosecuted. That is why people who should be condemning every instance of violence would rather indulge in denial. Violence from any side is despicable and lawless!’’

The Southern Kaduna indigenes had alleged that, “since Mallam Nasir El-Rufai emerged as governor, rather than carrying out his constitutional role of protecting us from attackers and terrorists, as victims of the killings in our areas, he has tried to paint us as the aggressors.”

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of SOKAPU, Mr. Yakubu Kuzamani, explained that “his (El-Rufai) constant description has emboldened key participants in this one-sided killing to also re-echo it as justification for the murder of innocent, defenseless and unsuspecting people in Southern Kaduna”, stressing that “SOKAPU is however consoled by a saying of Buddha that there are three things that cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon the truth”. The truth shall one day undoubtedly come to light.

Meanwhile, a broad civil society network in Nigeria, the Civil Society Conflicts Intervention Team has initiated an all inclusive mechanisms of engaging the lingering Southern Kaduna bloodletting and violence.

The new group of eminent leaders is jointly led by Prof. Pat Utomi of the Nigeria Political Summit Group (NPSG) and Prof. Jibo Ibrahim of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).

A statement by the head of the team’s publicity, Mallam Naseer Kura, yesterday in Abuja said the team was set to interface with the presidency, governor Nasir El Rufai, the three senators from Kaduna, the four peace initiatives working on the Southern Kaduna crisis as well as eminent leaders of thought from the region among others.

“What is happening today in Southern Kaduna and other parts of Nigeria is quite heart rendering and worrisome and requires a collaborative effort of all stakeholders to bring to normalcy as expressed by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in his last visit to the Niger Delta. Thus, we wish to call on all stakeholders and concerned parties to sheathe swords and embrace dialogue.’’