SAN FRANCISCO, January 31, (THEWILL) – Members of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Southern Kaduna crisis have met with Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State over the killings in the southern part of the state. The meeting lasted for hours before dissolving into an executive session.
El-Rufai told the lawmakers led by its Chairman, Kabir Gaya from Kano South Senatorial District, that part of reasons the killings in Southern Kaduna has lingered is because those involved have neither been punished nor prosecuted in the last 35 years.
Vowing that his government will punish culprits this time, he stated that no one who had hands in the circumstances leading to the killing of innocent lives in the area, would be spared.
Noting that the inability of past governments to prosecute offenders led to the continued killings in the southern Kaduna, he said a number of suspects had been arrested by security agencies and that more would soon be picked up.
He promised to do the needful to ensure the speedy formation of two battalions of the Nigerian Army to be located in Kachia and Kafanchan, all in the troubled areas of Southern Kaduna.
The Governor expressed optimism that this will minimise the restiveness in the area, disclosing that his government has so far committed about N4 billion in funding security agencies in the state.
He said, “When we came in, we met three main problems on the ground, cattle rustling, urban gang and communal killings. I will do whatever it takes to deploy resources to facilitate the take-off of the proposed military garrison in Southern Kaduna.
“I am the governor of Kaduna State, if you break the law you will be punished, the entire Kaduna city has been divided and there is a need to regain the confidence of the people and enhance unity once again.
”The reasons Southern Kaduna crisis has continued unabated is because those involved have neither been punished nor prosecuted in the last 35 years.”
Meanwhile, El-Rufai lamented that he had no control over security agencies in the state as the chief security officer of the state.
He told the lawmakers that despite the fact that the security agencies were under the control of the Federal Government, his administration had spent about N4bn on the various security outfits in the state.
The Governor maintained that though security remained the responsibility of the Federal Government, the state would continue to support the security agencies in the state to ensure peace and stability.
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