Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Kaduna State governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Isa, Mohammed Ashiru, has called on the state governor, Mallam Nasir El-rufai, to fish out the perpetrators of the latest killings in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.
Governor El-rufai had on the eve of the postponed presidential election, announced that 66 persons were killed in a reappraisal attack in the area.
This has since generated a lot of reactions from various quarters, blaming the governor for allegedly reopening old wounds at such a critical time in the nation’s history.
Ashiru in a statement which he personally signed and made available to journalists on Monday condoled with the families of those who lost their loved ones in the crisis.
“It is with an absolute shock that I received the news, broken by the Kaduna State governor, of the murder of many people in some settlements in Kajuru Local Government Area of our dear Kaduna State.
“This unfortunate incident is not only an unwanted addition to the list of the past similar ones but is also a clear indication that insecurity still remains a huge challenge in some parts of Kaduna State.
“I urge the Kaduna State government and all the relevant security agencies to ensure that the criminals who carried out the killings are fished out and brought to justice. This will require a tremendous determination and demonstration of a sense of justice and fairness on the part of the authorities whose responsibility is to not only deal appropriately with the perpetrators of such acts but to also forestall their recurrence.
“The fact that the loss of human lives has been confirmed makes the whole issue terribly shocking. The act clearly smacks of callousness and a descent into barbarism.
“I, therefore, wish to express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, people of Kajuru Local Government Area as well as the government and the entire people of Kaduna State over this unfortunate incident. It is my fervent prayer that Almighty God who created those souls will expose the perpetrators of the heinous act.
“Let me quickly remind my dear good people of Kaduna State of the need to embrace peace and eschew violence so that the diversity with which Almighty God has endowed us can be harnessed for the good of all of us. Our state is big, bountiful and rich enough to accommodate all of us; all we need to do is to continuously remind ourselves of the fact that resort to violence has never benefitted us as a people. In fact, such an act which results in the loss of human lives diminishes us as a people.
“We should, therefore, endeavour to come together, regardless of political, religious or ethnic differences, to let the world know that we are committed to ridding our state of violence and at the same time willing to live as the true brothers and sisters that we have always been.
“While I once again condole with the bereaved families, I also wish to reassure everyone again that my bid to clinch the governorship of Kaduna State is driven by both an immense concern for our people and a total determination to rescue the state from misrule.”