By Julius Peter:
The Kaduna State Chapter Of the Christian Association Of Nigeria (CAN) has express disappointment over the federal government’s statement on the killings in Southern Kaduna.
The CAN Chairman, in a statement, said “instead of the Buhari led Federal Government of Nigeria stepping in to find a lasting solution, it is unfortunate that it has resorted to twisting the truths.”
“In the past weeks, there have been reports of killings, especially in the southern part of Kaduna state with the most recent massacres at Kukum Daji and Gora Gan put at 33 deaths, aside from the scores who are in hospitals receiving treatment from various degrees of gunshots.
“However, instead of the Buhari led Federal Government of Nigeria stepping in to find a lasting solution, it is unfortunate that it has resorted to twisting the truths. One of the twists is the provocative claims credited to the Senior Special Assistant (Media & Publicity) to the President of Nigeria on the 21st July 2020 that “the problem in Southern Kaduna is an evil combination of politically-motivated banditry, revenge killings and mutual violence by criminal gangs acting on ethnic and religious grounds.”
“As if the above misconception is not enough, Shehu Garba further misinforms the Nigerian and the international community that “Southern Kaduna enjoys comprehensive security deployments, including the Army, Special Forces of both the Army and the Air Force, surveillance aircraft by the Air Force and mobile police units that are on the ground on a 24-hour basis to forestall criminality and keep the peace.”
“Were it to be true that the southern part of Kaduna enjoys security surveillance as claimed as by Mallam Garba Shehu, where were the security personnel when people were attacked in Atyap and Chawai Chiefdoms during the state’s imposed curfew and the fresh attacks at Kukum Daji in Kagoro Chiefdom as well as at Gora Gan in Atyap Chiefdom?
“Consequently, CAN Kaduna State Chapter as a body finds the statement by Shehu Garba unwarranted and views it as a misdirected attempt towards giving a dog a bad name to hang it. The position of CAN is that the killings of innocent lives, maiming and destruction of lives and property across the nation, particularly the fresh attacks in the southern part of Kaduna state, have reached an extraordinary height and are a matter of grave concern, hence, require that the FG takes a proactive approach instead of taking sides.
“CAN is worried that instead of Federal and State Government to do everything in their power to address this evil she is busy twisting facts to achieve what only God knows which will only make the situation worst.
“CAN believe that the Government needs to apply the principle of justice for all in addressing this and other conflicts bedevilling our country. This principle will ensure that all citizens are treated equally. The government should not expect CAN be silent, and watch more lives being wasted by some militia groups.
“Moreover, the government must not attempt to twist the facts to make a serious matter look like a drama. The government’s attitude simply assists criminals killing innocent citizens to be viewed as the victims.
“Aside from the degree of endless destruction of lives and property and government’s complicit response, CAN wish to unequivocally assert that the government has not done enough to stop the never-ending attacks nor has it demonstrated guaranteeing steps to arrest the aggressors. Besides, the government’s posture, evidenced in Shehu Garba’s 21st July 2020 release, is an indictment on the government at all levels, considering that its fundamental duty is the protection of the lives and property of all citizenry and not only a section.
“Accordingly, CAN call to the government is to stop paying taking sides and act promptly in apprehending the marauders of death before hapless communities are exterminated. It is even more painful to note that a record of the recent deaths is the youth, the leaders of our of collective future, demonstrating that Nigeria’s future is bleak.
“In view of the point that CAN accept that the right to life is an inalienable right, it believes that the continued killings are most unfortunate, unbecoming, and condemnable.
“The government, whose primary obligation is to safeguard the lives of the people must not allow its communities to be desolate due to insecurity, especially that casualty rate is soaring to deliberate genocide.
“A stitch in time saves nine. The federal, state and local governments must wake up to its role of safeguarding its people now or be deemed complicit in the genocide ongoing in the southern part of Kaduna state and in Nigeria as a whole,” the statement read.