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Youths oppose more military formations in Southern Kaduna

By Saxone Akhaine, Northern Bureau Chief
02 March 2017   |   2:32 am
Members of the youth wing of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) have opposed plans by the Federal Government to establish military barracks and formations in the troubled southern part of the state.

Nigeria Army

Members of the youth wing of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) have opposed plans by the Federal Government to establish military barracks and formations in the troubled southern part of the state.

The communities had recorded several attacks and killings as a result of clashes between Fulani herdsmen and native inhabitants in the troubled zone.

The aggrieved SOKAPU youths, who met in Kachia, Kaduna State, to review the crisis in the troubled areas in the state, said the problem of the communities affected by the crisis in Southern Kaduna was not in the numbers of the structures of military in the area but ability of the their presence to combat the challenges posed by the herdsmen.

They, therefore, urged the military authorities to do a rethink on the establishment of more military formations.

A statement signed by the SOKAPU Youth Wing National Leader, Mr. Nasiru Jagaba, said: “We call on the Federal Government to face this matter head-on and rescind its decision to establish two army battalions which we find counter-productive with the current military facilities in Southern Kaduna and its environs.”

Besides, Jagaba listed other resolutions of the group to include, among others:

• To unanimously initiate and operationalise a community watch project to replicate that of the North-East and Kaduna metropolis civilian joint task force towards effective policing of the Southern Kaduna communities;

• to write the federal and government of Kaduna State to halt the ongoing project on the establishment of grazing reserve or operations of same in Southern Kaduna as our communities have equivocally rejected the siting of such facilities in our land. We are, however, open to other agric-businesses being driven by the Federal Government through the Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP);

• to initiate and support litigations to challenge the impunity with which the governor of Kaduna State has refused to adhere to the court ruling on local council elections in the state;

• the executive committee of SOKAPU youth wing should engage all the legislative representatives at both state and federal levels within the state in pursuant to our resolutions;

• we call on the humanitarian agencies, non-governmental organisations and other agencies of government to join in the efforts SOKAPU is making through its relief materials committee towards alleviating the sufferings and malnutrition challenges facing internally-displaced persons in Southern Kaduna;

• to encourage and promote increased participation of Southern Kaduna youths in the economy, governance and politics of Nigeria; and

• to join voices with other nationalities in Nigeria on the demand that government should begin the process of implementing 2014 national conference report.

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