‘Crisis looms if violence in Kaduna lingers’

… Buhari, el-Rufai should find lasting solution, says Interfaith co-chairman 

Nigeria may experience crisis during the forthcoming 2019 general elections, if the violence that has engulfed Kaduna and other northern states are not addressed through the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari. 

Co-chairman of the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP), Bishop Sunday Onuoha disclosed this in Abuja at a news conference on its advocacy and fact-finding visits to five states namely, Zamfara, Benue, Plateau, Taraba and Kaduna. 

During the visits, Onuoha said the team met with critical stakeholders like security agencies, monarchs, Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), among others.

Onuoha who expressed sadness about the development said findings in Kaduna State with the recent killings revealed that there is hypocrisy among some members of communities, actions and inactions of some religious and political leaders who are not practicing what they Preach as factors responsible for the conflict. 

He said the problem of youth restiveness caused by unemployment and mutual distrust among various groups remain a major challenge. 

The co-chairman also said that in Kaduna, the Agom Adara, His Royal Highness Dr. Maiwada Galadima was abducted less than 48 hours after he granted audience to the  IDFP team. 

The clergy said: “pastors and imams should not preach bad messages. It is not new, we all know it that some people take advantage of the vulnerable situation of our country. That is what we are out to do. To preach peace across board. What we ask Federal Government to do is to inter-vain to show that those monarchs who are vulnerable based on where they are, are helped to be able to carryout their responsibilities.

Read Also: Tension in Kaduna as abductors kill monarch

“We also commended some leaders in Kaduna who are able to come together. We have a lot of interfaith programmes going on in Kaduna and if not for such interfaith programmes going on in states like Kaduna, Zamfara, Taraba and Benue we won’t be where we are today. It is those interventions that have really helped us. 

“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Nasir el-Rufai and relevant security agencies to ensure quick resolution of the crisis that has engulfed Kaduna State, urging the people in Kaduna to see the current curfew as a painful necessity to combat agents of destruction and prevailing insecurity.  

“And if nothing is done now to address the situation as we get into the 2019 general election period the situation is going to be worst. And unless government take serous action to ensure we address the situation, we may have crisis in our hands and it is an urgent situation that needs urgent solution.  

“We just heard a report of a monarch that was adopted. That is the vulnerability and we pray that such things do not continue, the gentle man we going about his legitimate responsibility, helping to build communities and he was adopted and we are praying that the monarch should be released because he is a peace builder. And once you are involved in peace building you are vulnerable. Once you engage yourself  in helping the less privilege. 

“We all know what we went through visiting these places we went. All we are asking is that went people give themselves to the services of the nation can they please be protected. We were confronted that some monarchs identified some hoodlums within the society and handed them over to some security agencies and few days later they were released. So it is a situation where you really want to help the situation and these boys are aware that is the are arrested their god fathers will come into the matter and release them. So how do we solve the problem. You even make those that reported them more vulnerable to attack. 

“How many people have been jailed since we have been having these problems. Some people have killed people and they have not been killed according to the law. I pity the Monarchs. Other monarchs will be scared. So government have a role to protect these people.”

IDFP commended the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Abdulrahman for providing security cover throughout the areas visited and prayed for the safe return of the abducted monarch.