In search of peace in Southern Kaduna

Muhammad Sabiu, examines the progress made so far in the seemingly intractable battle for peace in Southern Kaduna.

Will peace ever reign in Southern Kaduna? That is the question on the lips of many following the breakdown of law and order in the zone about a year ago. The fact that stakeholders are not folding their arms about the bloodletting and perennial animosity however indicates that all was not lost.

And in bringing the hope to reality, a number of developments lately are indicative of a people weary of war and in search of genuine peace.

Last month, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Kaduna chapter, in a news conference, revealed how a Fulani youth, who was grazing somewhere in Kachia, was attacked by some unidentified persons with offensive weapons and as a result, got his wrist amputated.

State chairman of Miyetti Allah, Dr Hassan Usman who made the disclosure during a news briefing in Kaduna said that the said crime was committed at a time when peace was returning to the area. Findings however revealed that the attackers of the herdsman whose wrist was chopped off have been arrested by the Police following a tip off by some boys who claimed to have watched the incident happen.

With the arrest of the alleged perpetrators, hope of securing the required punishment for the guilty would appear in the offing. And that should encourage the return to peaceful co-existence once again.

In the past, things were not that straight forward. Attacks from both the Fulani herdsmen and indigenous inhabitants of Southern Kaduna go unpunished leading to more attacks.

A member of the Southern Kaduna Peace and Reconciliation Committee, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi was upbeat at the gradual return of law and order in the area. He told the Nigerian Tribune that hings were not so in the past.

According to him: “Our new committee  has been meeting with the various communities in the area and appealing to them to come forward and expose  anybody they  see committing any form of crime.

“This is the new orientation we are inculcating in the various communities we visited and it is yielding fruitful results.”

Abdullahi who is also the National Assistant Secretary of Miyetti disclosed, “the committee is also embarking on visiting the families of those affected in the carnage. The visits, I must say, have been fruitful.

For instance, he revealed that the Fulani man whose wrist was chopped off is from Zamfara State. “We have to travel to Bakura in Zamfara to meet with his people to console them over the unfortunate incident,” he said.

He  stated that the Committee has set up its branches and has membership in every part  of  Southern Kaduna. He added that since the establishment of the committee, its members have been working tirelessly to ensure that peace reigns in the area.

He said for the first time, he had seen the commitment and determination of the people in the area to end the carnage which had resulted in the death of thousands of people from both sides over the last three decades.

He said after the Kachia episode, efforts of the committee has also resulted in the arrest of some persons in Kagoman Chiefdom who were allegedly involved in the shooting of some cows in the community. He said while the arrests have been made possible through the activities of some youths, those arrested have been handed over to the police.

The peace Committee is, however, not relying on just the support of some youths, as according to Abdullahi the peace efforts had been taken to the homes of two prominent sons of the area, General Zamani Lekwot and General Martin Luther Agwai.

He said that the Committee in different tours had communicated the leaders about the need for peace in the area, adding that the two Generals have reaffirmed their willingness to help in restoring peace in the area.

The state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Abeh Agbole, who also spoke with the Nigerian Tribune said that the Police has so far been able to restore peace in Southern Kaduna.

He said: “I have repeatedly said whatever the government will do to end the crisis, the people must show interest of not only resolving the crisis, but the willingness to live together as brothers and sisters.” He disclosed that the Police was able to stem the tide of violence with the establishment of a police barrack in the area as well as the deployment of some officers.

Agbole, who is also the chairman of the state security committee, also revealed that the setting up of a military barrack in Kafachan and Kachia are contributory factors for peace in the area.

He stated that the Air Force was not left out of the peace mission, adding that the Force had commenced a 24-hour aerial surveillance in the area.

Special Assistant to the Governor of Kaduna State on Media and Publicity Mr. Samuel Aruwan remarked that the state government will do everything within its purview to bring lasting peace. According to him: “We are not happy as government with the situation in the area.

‘‘Our government under the leadership of Mallam Nasiru el-rufai has lined up several developmental projects in the area like schools rehabilitation, construction and rehabilitation of roads and the establishment of potatoes processing industry, but the crises has hampered all these things.”

He said however that the state government is determined to bring lasting peace to Southern Kaduna. “The government has resolved to punish those who were involved in these crises over the last 30 years and start the process of peace building in the area,” he said.

Findings by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that even though remarkable progress had been attained towards ensuring peace in the area, the close down of some tertiary institutions in the area is still a sore point. Some leaders of the area believe that the closure was unjustifiable and unnecessary.

That Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) had taken up this as one of the remaining grey areas that could militate against peace. From a communique released by SOKAPU at its recently concluded summit, the union said that the continued closure of the tertiary institutions in the area was unjustifiable.

National President and National secretary of the union, Solomon Musa and Anto Ambi respectively, who signed the communique said  that “the closure of tertiary institutions in Southern Kaduna from December, 2016 to now, was examined and Summit could not find any justification or rationale for their continued closure in view of the fact that the Government has given assurances that security has been restored.

“Moreso that primary and secondary schools, government agencies, markets and other public institutions have been normally carrying out all activities peacefully. In view of the above, SOKAPU called for the immediate re-opening of these schools.”

Another outstanding issue is the displacement of people in the area. A community leader in Zango Kataf who pleaded anonymity remarked ‘‘many people in my community lost their homes as a result of several onslaughts by suspected Fulani herdsmen, adding that what the people want from the government is a new home. “We have no money to start building new houses,” he said.

Chairman of the Southern Kaduna Muslim Ummah Development Association (SOKAMUDA), Alhaji Adamu Mohammed, who spoke for Muslims displaced in the area said that displaced persons wanted to return home.

He said, “We want to appeal to the government to provide adequate security in the entire Southern Kaduna for our people to return to their original places of abode and also continue with their normal day to day activities without hindrances and preconditions,’’ he said.