Kajuru crises: Commission of Inquiry submits report

Noah Ebije, Kaduna

A year after Commission of Inquiry was set up by Kaduna State government into the incessant violent crises in Kajuru local government area of the State, Justice Isa Aliyu Commission on Thursday submitted its report to the State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Receiving the report, El-Rufai thanked the members of the commission for their hard work and contributions to helping resolve the matter. He pledged that the government will promptly study the report and consider the recommendations of the inquiry.

This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the Governor (Media &Communication), Muyiwa Adekeye.

The Governor had announced the State government’s decision to establish a judicial commission of inquiry into the matter during a visit to Karamai community in Kajuru LGA on 2nd March 2019, explaining that “building sustainable peace in the area requires that all the facts around the violent conflict be established.

Subsequent to that decision, the Kaduna State Government in April 2019 constituted 10-member Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the incessant communal crises in Kajuru LGA and surrounding communities.

The mandate of the Commission included, “To inquire into or investigate, ascertain and identify the immediate and remote causes of all instances of disturbances from 2017 to date in Kajuru, Kachia, Chikun LGAs and surrounding communities;

“Identify individuals, traditional and religious institutions and other associations that might have contributed to the build-up of the disturbances and recommend further action by government;

“Assess, determine and establish the extent of loss of lives and property and other forms of damage caused during the disturbances and identify the perpetrators of the dastardly acts for further action by government;

“Make any other recommendations to government consequential to or related to any or all these terms of reference;

“In the light of the Commission’s findings, recommend appropriate legal and other actions to be taken against those responsible for the disturbances;

“Make appropriate recommendations to government on steps to be taken to forestall future occurrence of the disturbances”.