Opinion: The Kaduna Crisis and Our Common Humanity, By Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai
Since last month the state government and security agencies have been working to contain an upsurge in violence and needless killings in parts of the state. We are deeply saddened by the loss of lives in a totally unnecessary frenzy of communal attacks, reprisals and revenge. While we mourn the dead, our immediate focus remains to stop the cycle of attacks and reprisals.
We challenge anyone to characterise or differentiate the communal clashes, attacks and killings in parts of Northern and Central Kaduna State, as well as in Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Niger States from those in Southern Kaduna. Is it because in all the other cases, the victims are lesser humans or lacking in voice and media hype? What happened to our common humanity?
In 2015, we took action against the urban rascality of Sara-suka gangs and began to address the widespread problem of cattle rustling and other acts of rural banditry that were menacing many of our communities. We initiated contacts with other states in the Northwest and Niger State to discuss joint military and police action in the Kamuku-Kuyambana forest range that straddles the concerned states.
In September 2017, we established the Kaduna State Peace Commission to help encourage communities in our state to adopt peaceful means of resolving their differences. The commission is chaired by Most Revd. Dr. Josiah Idowu-Fearon, former Anglican Archbishop of Kaduna and current secretary-general of the Anglican Communion. The executive vice-chairman, who runs the Peace Commission on a daily basis, is Priscilla Ankut, a lawyer who is well-known in the peace and conflict sector.
Distinguished guests, the Kaduna State Government is investing scarce human and financial resources and working hard for peace and security across the state. Bandits continue to menace communities everywhere, including in the northern and central parts of the state, killing with viciousness, kidnapping citizens and stealing their cattle and other valuables. In one night in February, Kerewa in Igabi LGA lost 51 persons to these mindless bandits.
Nigeria is a diverse country, and Kaduna State is one of the most diverse in the country. Our duty is to uphold a common citizenship, united in respect for the rule of law, equality of opportunity and promotion of the rights and liberties of everyone. We cannot allow our common humanity to be relegated and distorted by the obsession some of our compatriots have with identity politics which tend to divide rather than unite us.
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