GOVERNOR Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State has decried the destruction of the foundation laying structure of the proposed Nigerian Army Battalion in Southern Kaduna.
In a statement on Saturday by Samuel Aruwan, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, El-Rufai described the situation as unfortunate that conflict entrepreneurs are determined to create obstacles and setback to our stabilisation and peace building efforts.
“I received the news with shock over the unfortunate destruction of foundation laying structure of the proposed Nigerian Army battalion in Southern Kaduna.
“The very structure we erected to establish the long-awaited Army Barracks to assist in the promotion of peace and end decades of senseless bloodletting in Southern part of Kaduna State.
“The situation is unfortunate, condemn-able and a setback to government’s communal stabilization and peace building efforts, but we will not be deterred,” said the governor.
He urged the people to cherish peaceful coexistence, continue to be resilient, focused and resolute in overcoming antics of forces of darkness and evil.
“Those that did this are determined to derail the contributions of security agencies, having failed to spread their tentacles of hate, bigotry and penchant for divisiveness.
“I want to use this medium to appeal to all men and women of conscience, to remain firm and optimistic, while government in collaboration with security agencies, civil society, religious and traditional institutions will continue to work for peace and security of lives and property.
“Finally, all those that have their hands in the destruction of this structure will not go free,” he said.
According to him, the security agencies will fish out the perpetrators and those found to be involved, or engaged in omissions that led to the destruction of public property, will be brought to justice.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai and Gov. El-Rufai had last week, laid the foundation for the establishment of the battalion at Ungwan Yashi area of Zangon Kataf Local Government, as a response to incessant killings occurring in Southern Kaduna since 1980.
Meanwhile, more condemnation has continued to pour on the destruction of the structure.
One of the early groups to condemn the act was the Southern Kaduna Concerned Youth (SOKACOY ) .
At a news conference in Kaduna, on Saturday, the group described the destruction of the foundation as a major setback to restoration of peace in the area.
The coordinator of the group, Adamu Barde Kagarko, while commiserating with the families of the victims of the incessant attacks, prayed for an everlasting peace in the area.
“As concerned citizens of Southern Kaduna, we commiserate with the victims of any of the attacks and we pray that God will heal every family that has lost a loved one or any property in those acts of wickedness by man to man. May the good Lord bring everlasting peace to our region.
He also said “Our attention has also been drawn to the wicked act that was perpetrated by our enemies who have destroyed the Foundation of the Military Based that was laid by the Chief of Army Staff and His Excellency, Governor Nasir Ahmed Elrufai in Kafanchan last weekend.
‘We condemned it in its totality and we hope and pray that the perpetrators will be brought to book.
‘It is very sad that when Government is making frantic efforts to secure our region, some enemies of the State from our region are carrying out these unwholesome acts for whatever reasons that is best known to them,” he said.
Similarly, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) condemned the destruction of the foundation stone, saying it was vehemently opposed to recklessness.
This was contained in a statement in Kaduna, on Saturday and signed by the National publicity secretary of the union, Yakubu Kuzamani.
The statement noted that, “as an organisation that has been vigorously pursuing an increased presence of the military in an area deliberately neglected and abandoned for a long time, we totally frown at such acts of recklessness.
‘SOKAPU will not support any acts that could break the law and will continue to call on all Southern Kaduna people, irrespective of ethnic, religious or political affiliations, to abide by the laws of the lands and never to break the laws.
It further resolved that SOKAPU “stands on its quest for justice and fairness, anchored on the peaceful approach to all solution bedeviling our region and would not stand aloof and watch such acts being truncated by anyone.
“With the one-sided speed that some in Southern Kaduna are being arrested and paraded as the ‘masterminds’ of the genocidal killings in Southern Kaduna, we urge the security agencies to ensure they get the right suspect and not some innocent people picked at random and later paraded without due investigation.
“We still reiterate our stand as a peaceful organization, speaking for the peace-loving people of Southern Kaduna, irrespective of tribe or religion and would not stand and allow acts that could embolden our aggressors and their supporters to wrongly and mischievously continue to allude to some personality in Southern Kaduna as ‘crisis entrepreneurs,” to stand.
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