Insecurity: Kaduna, military, community leaders hold peace meeting

Against the backdrop of security challenges facing some parts of Kaduna, the state government, Defence Headquarters ‘Operation Safe Haven’ and stakeholders in the southern part of the state held a peace meeting in Kafanchan.

The peace meeting was intended to sustain the peace efforts in the area which has to a greater extent reduced the security challenges faced in the area.

Addressing the well-attended peace meeting, Operation Safe Haven Commander, Maj. Gen. Augustine Agundu, who said Kaduna people must live in peace with one another, urged residents to identify and report criminal elements in their communities to security agencies for prompt action.

Gen. Agundu, who earlier visited the Chief of Kagoro and Emir of Jama’a palaces, called for tolerance among residents, warning troublemakers to leave Southern Kaduna or face the full wrath of the law.

He urged farmers and herders carrying illegal firearms to surrender them to the nearest security post to avoid arrest.

While commending the traditional rulers and their subjects in maintaining peace, Gen. Agundu, advised farmers and herders to always report any grievances to security especially the military rather than taking laws in their hands which will not be tolerated.

ALSO READ: Soku oil wells: I am only protecting interest of Rivers State, Wike tells Dickson

Gen. Agundu, however, appealed to the people of Kaduna State to embrace peace and forgive each other.

“We went to the Chief of Kagoro and Emir of Jama’a palaces before coming here to start this meeting, we want to appreciate everybody that is here. Our work is difficult if you don’t cooperate because we are all Nigerians, if we want to do it the way we suppose to do our work, innocent people will be affected in your communities.

“What we want is to identify the bad ones living in your communities and report to us the security for prompt action for peace. If we fought a civil war in this country and we said no winner and no loser. No problem without a solution, we must hold our communities together to live in peace.

“Let’s appeal to our conscience, people who are giving us problem are only a few. The land that belongs to all of us is the six feet’s grave, at the end of the day, nobody owns any land. The people who are fueling crisis are not from here, they are in cities. We must say no to violence.

“When people want to cause a crisis, they sow the seed of discord among people. There are serving and retired security officers in this state and many are the ones promoting violence, we will get you is a matter of time.

“As a farmer, you don’t need to kill another person who destroys farmland because we cannot buy life. We must stop stealing cows. I also advise the herdsmen to stop using children to rear cows and night rearing. Let us isolate the bad ones criminals, the cut across all the tribes. We must be tolerant of each other and grow to understand.”

“In olden days, Muslims visit Christians during Christmas and some Christians also visit Muslims during Sallah but what is happening nowadays? We must love each other. I am appealing to you all, to give us useful information to pick up the few bad ones living among us for peace. Our men are ready to bring peace,” Gen.Agundu said.

In their separate remarks, Chief of Kagoro, Mr Ufuwai Bonat and Emir of Jama’a, Mohammad Isah Mohammad, commended the security forces in their efforts to bring permanent peace in the Southern part of the state and called for cooperation among residents to give peace a chance.

On his part, Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, who represented Governor Nasir el-Rufai, said the state government will continue to partner with the Defence Headquarters and other security agencies for peace in the state.

ALSO READ: NGOs need govt support to alleviate sufferings of less privileged ― Akinosun

“We will continue to deepen cooperation with security agencies. We are living under the law, if herdsmen/farmers have a problem, they should report to security agencies and the government. Farmers and herders should not take laws into their hands. They should allow the law to take its cause. We commend the Operations Safe Haven for deploying more special forces to sustain the peace.

“Conflicts between farmers and herders has a long history but why killing each other now? This is because there are a lot of manipulations by unpatriotic people. Criminals are everywhere, let’s treat criminals as criminals, crime has nothing to do with one’s religion or tribe. The very moment we decide to cover criminals because of religion and tribe, crimes will persist in our society. No need for bloodshed in our state,” Aruwan said.