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Southern Kaduna Peace and Reconciliation Committee holds dialogue forum with security agencies

About 200 Southern Kaduna stakeholders who are members of the Southern Kaduna Peace and Reconciliation Committee working with the Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Nigeria for peace in Southern Kaduna held a Dialogue Forum with security agencies on May 10 in Kafanchan. The forum brought together for an interactive session the heads of the various security…

About 200 Southern Kaduna stakeholders who are members of the Southern Kaduna Peace and Reconciliation Committee working with the Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Nigeria for peace in Southern Kaduna held a Dialogue Forum with security agencies on May 10 in Kafanchan.

The forum brought together for an interactive session the heads of the various security agencies in the region including the Police, Army, Civil Defense and the Department of State Security with the Southern Kaduna Peace and Reconciliation Committee General Assembly members which has representation from various Tribes, Chiefdoms, Communities, Organisations, and other Stakeholder groups.

Responding to questions from journalists, Country Director for Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, John Oko explained that: “In the course of our work and interactions with various communities, they expressed a serious lack of confidence in the security agencies’ abilities to offer justice on many occasions. The forum was therefore aimed at serving as a confidence-building mechanism through the interactive session between the communities and the security agencies.”

While urging the people of Southern Kaduna to continue to live and work together despite their religious, ethnic, tribal, and other differences for the peace and development of the region, Oko encouraged the security agencies to hold regular dialogue sessions at the various local communities to foster greater confidence and trust. He reiterated his organisation’s commitment to continue to work with the Peace and Reconciliation Committee in the peacebuilding process until lasting peace returns to Southern Kaduna.

Earlier in their welcome remarks, Co-coordinators of GPF in Northern Nigeria, Sheikh Halliru Abdullahi Maraya and Rev. John Joseph Hayab said the continuous interface with security agencies and community leaders has helped in preserving lives and properties in the area.

They thanked the security agencies for discharging their responsibilities promptly and the cooperation extended by residents to achieve desired peace. The Clerics also commended the relentless efforts of the Southern Kaduna Peace and Reconciliation Committee members, assuring that “at the end of the tunnel, we shall certainly see light”.

In his opening remarks, Barr. Solomon Musa, President of SOKAPU and Chairman of the Southern Kaduna Peace and Reconciliation Committee urged leaders at various levels to be mindful of their utterances to avoid making statements that can incite violence among their followers. While thanking the security agencies for their commitment to duty and sacrifices, he challenged them to ensure that they always carry out their duties with fairness to win the confidence of the communities they serve.

Also speaking, Alhaji Haruna Tugga, Kaduna State Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, and Vice Chairman of the Committee stressed that people should always support the security agencies by providing them with useful information that could aid their operation. He urged everyone to treat each other as members of one family under God irrespective of our differences.

In her remarks, Hajiya Khadija Hawaja Gambo, Permanent Commissioner at the Kaduna State Peace Commission, commended the Global Peace Foundation for organizing the forum at this crucial time that Kaduna State is preparing for Local Government elections. She stressed that most of the people in Southern Kaduna are yearning for peace while maintaining that the time for us to live peacefully is now.

Various stakeholders who spoke during the interactive session asked questions, expressed concerns and made recommendations to the security agencies who then addressed the issues. They reiterated their commitment to continue to work impartially and announced contact phone numbers that can be used to give information to the various security agencies.

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