Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on Sunday condemned the killing of 66 people in Kajuru LGA of Kaduna state, and Boko Haram suicide attack in a mosque in Maiduguri, Borno state, while calling on security agencies to punish the perpetrators and forestall recurrence.
This is just as Governor Nasir el-Rufai warned against reprisal attacks, while urging Kaduna communities to shun violence and respect the right of everyone to live in peace.
Speaking in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Malam Muhammad Ibrahim Biu, ACF said: “ACF is deeply pained by the recent unwarranted killings of innocent lives and destruction of property of some Fulani settlements in Kajuru Local Government Areas of Kaduna state on the eve of the postponed elections by some armed bandits.
“The heinous acts by the gunmen or bandits were callous and inhuman, considering the number of casualties. Killings of innocent people for whatever reasons cannot in any way address the perceived concerns or grievances of the perpetrators of these crimes.
“ACF would not be tired of appealing to all aggrieved persons to always channel their grievances through due process of law rather than taking the law into their hands. This is because both the attacks and reprisals are often targeted at innocent people who know nothing about the feuds.
“ACF condemns such spate of killings of innocent people by armed bandits and gunmen in the country. The Forum therefore calls on the security agencies to always be proactive in their operations in order to avert such incidence. Perpetrators of this dastardly acts must be brought to book to serve as deterrent to others.
“The issue of intelligence gathering and sharing should be a continuous and sustained effort by both the communities and the security agencies to ensure peaceful coexistence within the communities. This is because peaceful coexistence is sine qua non to meaningful socioeconomic development.
“ACF equally condemns the Boko Haram suicide attack on some worshippers in a mosque at the outskirts of Maiduguri, Borno state capital, where innocent lives were killed, also on the eve of the postponed elections. These killings on the eve of elections by some armed bandits may be to scare the electorates and also derail our democratic process by the sect.
“ACF, therefore, calls on Nigerians not to be deterred by such intimidation and coward acts of the perpetrators of these crimes. Nigerians should be resolute and united in the enthronement of a democratic system of government that will provide social justice, good governance and equal opportunity to all.
“ACF extends her condolences to the affected communities of Kajuru Local Government Area, the government and good people of Kaduna state, the government and good people of Borno state as well as the families of those affected by the unfortunate incidences.
Governor el-Rufai visited the scenes of the Kajuru killings with the GOC 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Faruk Yahaya, Air Cmdr. I. Sani of the Nigerian Air Force, Police Commissioner, Ahmad Abdurrahman, State Director of the SSS, A.I. Koya and chairman, Kajuru local government council, Cafra Caino. During the visit, the GOC briefed the governor on the recovery of 66 corpses by soldiers in the Maro and Iri axis of Kajuru local government.
The General conducted the Governor around the scenes of the crime which were littered with the burnt wrecks of buildings and dead animals. The Commissioner Police confirmed that some arrests had been made in connection with the incident and that the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are completed.
