GOVERNOR Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State has said henceforth any community that allows violence to take place in his domain will bear the cost of repairs as a result of any damage in such community.
This was even as vowed to enforce existing laws that impose costs on communities that permit violence in their midst.
The Governor who issued the warning in an address during the emergency meeting of the State Council of Chiefs on Tuesday revealed that the laws impose on community members to bear the cost of repairs of damage arising from the crisis.
El Rufai mentioned that the various provisions of the Riots Damage Laws of 1958, the Collective Damage Law of 1915 and the Peace Preservation Law of 1917 will henceforth be enforced.
According to him: “These laws impose on communities that permit violence in their midsts, obliging community members to be charged and levied monies for the costs of repairing the damage done during episodes of violence.”
The Governor promised that his administration will provide details of the enforcement of these extant laws.
El Rufai also warned the Royal Fathers that government will no longer accept excuses from them when crises erupt in their domains.
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“In situations of unrests, it is common for traditional rulers to disclaim any control over unruly youths. It is an excuse we can no longer accept. Where significant sections of a community disdain the council or authority of their traditional ruler, it imperils the rationale for keeping the traditional institution and the occupant of the office,” he argued.
The Governor who traced the genesis of crises in Kaduna State said that ethno-religious clash first occurred in Kasuwan Magani in 1980, adding that “Since then, it appears that a constituency has developed which believes that violence pays, and is convinced that violence has no consequences for the perpetrators.”
According to him: “It is time for a powerful coalition for peace to speak frankly and support actions against those who menace the right of our citizens to live in peace wherever they choose.”
El Rufai disclosed that 22 people lost their lives during the last crisis that occurred on Sunday while 44 others sustained injuries, adding that several properties were also damaged within Kaduna metropolis.
The Governor who vowed to prosecute the perpetrators of the crisis, however, lamented the slow pace prosecution in the courts.
He stated that Kaduna State is working to secure the approval of the National Judicial Council in order to expand the bench with 20 additional high court judges.
In addition, El Rufai said that government is working with Kaduna State Police Command to establish a police division in Narayi and Sabon Tasha. He expressed gratitude to the police authorities for agreeing to establish a police division at Kasuwan Magani.
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