Governor Nasiru Ahmed el-Rufai made the protest today, Tuesday, when members of the Senate Adhoc Committee on the crisis in Southern Kaduna and other parts of the country paid him a visit at the government House in Kaduna.
The six-man delegation led by its Chairman, Senator Kabiru Gaya visited Governor Nasir El-Rufai was on a fact finding mission to the state.
Governor el-Rufai who commended the members of committee for the visit, insisted that part of reasons Southern Kaduna crisis had continued unabated was because those involved had neither been punished nor prosecuted in the last 35 years.
He said that when his government came in power in 2015, it met three main problems on ground: cattle rustling, urban gang and communal killings.
”Anyone involved in the crisis, no matter how highly placed, would be arrested and prosecuted. 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 need to regain the confidence.”
Governor el-Rufai said that the state government has so far committed about 4 billion naira in funding security agencies in the state all in the efforts to ensure that peace and security is restored in the state. He added that the government bought even bullet proof vests and would continue to do more in order to ensure peace reigns in the state.
The Governor called for additional support for security agencies in the budget and that there is the need for training and retraining of security agencies.
The Governor promised to do whatever it takes to deploy resources to facilitate the take-off of the proposed military garrison in the area as soon as possible.
”Let people know that there are always consequences for insecurity, and this crisis would have consequences, economic, political, development and even social.
“People are making money from the crisis and politicizing it for political gains, so we hope this committee will see the reality on ground and not what is been bandied around mainly on the social media.”
The leader of the team, Senator Kabiru Gaya said that the committee was set up by the senate to investigate and unravel remote and immediate causes of the frequent attacks as well as find solution to the crises rocking Southern Kaduna.
Gaya, who blamed politicians and ethnic groups for using the crisis for political gain, said part of the mission of the Adhoc committee was to interact, discuss with government, stakeholders, community leaders, security agencies and other relevant bodies that will contribute to bringing lasting peace in the area. [myad]
