By Martin Paul, Abuja

The Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU) has called on the authorities to secure and rebuild their communities affected by the series of attacks on their people, saying over 700 natives were killed and 100,000 displaced.

National Youth Leader of SOKAPU, Comrade John Isaac, said the southern region of Kaduna, comprising of Jema’a, Jaba, Kagarko, Kachia, Sanga, Kaura, Kauru, Zangon Kataf, Lere, Kajuru and Chickun LGAs, had been ravaged by criminal activities of armed herdsmen for years.

According to him, approximately 900,000 people had adversely been affected with about 100,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), spread in about 10 camps,   mostly in religious homes, with hundreds of millions worth of farm produce destroyed.

“Many of the   affected residents now live in IDP camps, with host families away from their original homes and in host communities.  Many host communities are severely stressed, having to cater for the large influx of displaced people from places directly hit by the attacks.

“These attacks have also resulted in extensive damage to social, economic, health and market infrastructure. Numerous homes have been destroyed.  Many schools, hospitals, markets and places of worship have been destroyed or closed.  Many   communities have been completely abandoned, especially in parts of Chickun, Kajuru and Zangon-Kataf LGAs,” he told journalists.

The youth leader explained that while there was still a semblance of economic and agricultural activities in some parts of the affected communities, the economy of most of such communities were at the verge of collapse as farmers, for the fear of attacks, could no longer go to their farms.

While the SOKAPU youth wing commended the Peace Initiative of the Kaduna State Government under the leadership of Governor Nasir el-Rufai following the ‘House of Kaduna Family’’ peace initiative, it said achieving peace and tranquility in the region will require   bringing    an end to the killings, culprits  identified and brought to book and effectively    handling the humanitarian crisis and implementation of an effective reintegration and rebuilding programme as well as the effective reconstruction of social and physical infrastructures across the affected communities.

It solicited the   provision of adequate security and conducive atmosphere for agricultural activities to thrive.

“SOKAPU youth wing is against this backdrop urging both the Federal and State Governments and their agencies, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Kaduna State Ministry in charge of riots, damages, rehabilitations, and resettlements to, as a matter of urgency act fast in rebuilding ravaged communities and reintegrating families and persons displaced by this senseless acts of terror,” the group said.

Miyetti Allah Bans Children from Cattle Grazing

With a view to stopping destruction of farmland and agricultural produce in Southern Kaduna, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) has called for a total ban on children grazing cattle in the state.

The association said the step was taken to prevent further destruction of farm produce, which on several occasions, had resulted in crisis.

The group also agreed to revert to  “our olden days relationship with our neighbouring communities in the area.”

In a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting held at the weekend in Kafanchan, MACBAN pledged full support to Operation Safe Haven’s (OPSH) efforts to restore peace and security in Southern Kaduna area.

It also called for the establishment of joint community peace and security committees at all levels to monitor and maintain peace among neighbouring communities.

The communiqué signed by the Kaduna State chapter Chairman, Alhaji Usman Haruna Tugga, State Zone III Chairman, Alhaji Abdulhamid Musa, Director, Media and Publicity, Ibrahim Bayero Zango and the state Zone III Secretary, Alhaji Shuaibu Mogauri Usman, stated that the meeting was attended by Ardos and others stakeholders from all the eight local government areas of Southern Kaduna Senatorial zone and beyond,

“We strongly commend the efforts of Commanders of Operation Safe Haven and all his officers and men for their tireless efforts toward the restoration of peace in southern Kaduna. We have never seen this kind of efforts from the military commander before.

“It was also attended by the Security Agencies, Kaduna State Government Officials. Distinguished Senator Danjuma La’ah and Chief Anthony Hassan (Dokajen Jaba) also graced the occasion,” the communiqué added.

Part of the communiqué read: “The summit, after all the deliberations, reached the following resolutions: That we have agreed to reverse to our olden days’ relationship with our neighbouring communities in the area.
“We are appealing to farmers to allow our cattle graze on recognized cattle routes “We have agreed to bury our differences and be our brothers’ keepers henceforth in order to foster development in the area.

“We call on our people to stop allowing the underage children from rearing cattle in order to prevent further destructions of farm produce of the farmers within the area and beyond.

“We also advised our people to be vigilant and hand over suspected criminals to security agencies that may be found within our communities.

“The summit strongly commended the efforts of Commanders of operation safe haven and all his officers and men for their tireless efforts toward the restoration of peace in southern Kaduna we have never seen this kind of efforts from military commander before.

“Based on this reason we pledged our total support to the security outfits and all its efforts to restore total peace and security in southern Kaduna.

“We also wish to commend all the security agencies working tirelessly to restore peace to southern Kaduna. We appeal to the federal and Kaduna State Government to assist those who have lost their cattle’s and other sources of livelihood in other to alleviate the hardship that the victims are facing.

“We call for the establishment of joint community peace and security at all levels to monitor and maintain peace among neighbouring communities”.

JIBWIS Backs El- Rufai Peace Efforts
Meanwhile, a Muslim group, Jama’atul  Izalatul Bid’ah wa Iqamatul Sunnah (JIBWIS), has emphasized the need for peaceful coexistence among residents of Kaduna South.

National Chairman of the group, Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, said without peace, there could be no religious practice.

 ‘’We are here to commiserate with the governor and people of Kaduna state, for what happened between the communities of the state’’, Sheikh Bala Lau said at  news conference after he had led a team on courtesy call on Governor Nasir el-Rufai  at the weekend.

“Religious leaders have a great role to play; they have value to add for the peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.  That is why the governor said that he had earlier received CAN leaders and His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto’’, he added.

The sheikh  also argued that “Allah created us from male and female, from Adam and Eve, for us to know each other, not to fight each other.

 “Inshaa Allahu, we have so many things to add value to the peaceful coexistence in Kaduna state”, he said.

The cleric promised to offer fervent prayers for the intervention of Allah (SWT), adding that “with prayers, we will achieve our goal”.

 The sheikh said that true Muslims  were being guided by the Holy Qur’an in whatever they do,  adding that “whosoever wants to preach, has to preach according to   the Quran and Sunnah. If you are following the teaching of the Qur’an  and Sunnah, you cannot preach anywhere and anyhow”, and admonished preachers to preach with wisdom.

In his contribution, Governor el Rufai said that the Izala leaders, essentially, came to be briefed about the security situation in Kaduna state and that ‘’they received briefings from the Commissioner of Internal Security as well as the Deputy Governor.

“We also solicited  their support and prayers to see the end of this crisis because we are of the strong view that at the bottom of this crisis is the reckless statements of some religious leaders.

“If religious leaders decide firmly that people should live in peace and preach that consistently, it will lead to peaceful coexistence in our state,’’ he said.

el- Rufai identified religion and ethnicity as causes of crisis in southern Kaduna and advised that religious leaders could play a very unifying or divisive role in solving the problems.