Southern Kaduna Killings:‎ Northern Christian Elders Condemn Attacks

By; AMOS MATHEW, Kaduna

The ‎Christian Elders. Forum of. Northern States (NOSEF) has condemned the recurred  attacks by suspected herdsmen which had led to the death of several ‎innocent people with several others internally displaced and now forced to squat with family members after loosing their homes and properties to the attacks.

NOSEF made the declaration while donating relief materials worth hundreds of thousands of Naira to victims of the attacks in southern part of Kaduna State.

Making the presentations on thursday to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Zone 3 at Kafanchan, Kaduna State for onward distribution to the displaced victims, the National Chairman NOSEF, Pastor  Olaiya Phillips represented by the national vice Chairman Dr Luka Lobadungze harped on the need for the government to ensure equity, fairness and justice to all regardless of tribe, religion or ethnicity.

He said, the humble ass‎istance is aimed at reducing the sufferings inflicted on people and to alleviate their pains and a sign to identify with them in their moments of pains and agony like they are experiencing now.

Pastor Phillips expressed hope that the donations though little will help to cushion the effect of the sufferings the victims are passing through.

While condemning in very strong terms the persistent attacks in the southern part of Kaduna State and other parts of the country, he described the attacks as rather unfortunate and urged all and sundry to seek the face of God through prayers to forstall future occurrence.

Meanwhile, he commended the Federal, State governments and security agencies for the steps taken so far to prevent a re-occurrence of such inhuman attacks.

“We further commend the government for the steps being put in place to rehabilitate victims of the attacks to return them back to their normal lives.

“We call on the government to further take necessary step in the troubled southern Kaduna just as the step being taken to checkmate the activities ‎of Boko Haram in North Eastern states, this is because the activities of the perpetrators of the southern Kaduna attacks comes in similar type and manner which can best be described as terrorist attack.

“It is particularly worrisome that people’s farms are now illegally and forcefully taken over by terrorist, so we are calling ‎on government at all levels to take more proactive steps that will flush out these terrorist who have taken over farmlands of some of the victims and return their farm lands back to them”.

Responding‎, the Chairman CAN Zone 111, Venarable John Bwankwot commended NOSEF leadership for the donation and assured that the items will be judiciously distributed to the victims who are in dare need of them, adding that the items will help to encourage and strenghten the displaced persons.

He lamented however that, “what we suffer in this zone is not crisis but an attack on innocent and defenceless people either while sleeping or on their farms. Our situation is rather more pathetic when those brought in during curfew to maintain law and order take advantage to estort money from us for nop just reason” he lamented.

“The economy  has crumbled in this area due to curfew imposed then, ‎a bag of ginger that used to sell for N23,000 now sells for about N15,000 and now that people can no longer go to their farms freely, we don’t know what will happen in the nearest future if the situation is not addressed now” he said.

On his part, the CAN Chairman Jema’a local government area also in Zone 111, Reverend David Aruwan corroborated the position of the Zonal Chairman and further called on the government to take proactive measures to prevent imminent famine and starvation in the area.

Items donated include 30 bags of 25kg Rice, 15 bundles of roofing sheets and 48 bags of Maize.