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Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Children of nine Adara leaders remanded in Kaduna Prison on charges of alleged culpable homicide, in the wake of Kajuru killings this year have called on the state government to release their fathers without further delay.
Following incessant communal clashes between Fulani herdsmen and Adara natives in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, nine Adara elders were arrested, and charged to court, but have remained in prison custody, having been denied bail.
Representative of the children of the embattled elders, Bege Bawa Magaji, in a statement described the detention of their fathers as a violation of their fundamental human rights.
The statement also noted that the detainees were advanced in age, with fragile health conditions, stressing that they deserve quick release from detention to attend to their health.
Those in detention include the acting paramount chief, Bawa Magaji Kufana, who had previously served as a Commissioner of Agriculture and also Chieftaincy Affairs during Governor Ahmed Makarfi’s tenure, the President of the Adara Development Union, Awemi Dio Maisamari, a retired Commissioner of Police, Sani Magaji, and the national treasurer, Adara Development Association, Joseph Abdallah.
Others are Tanko Maisamari, village head of Maro, Hosea Danladi, village head of Ungwan Gamo, Joseph Ayuba, village head of Kutura, Tanko Wada, village head of Aguba, and Ulu Maitumbi, an Ungwan Barde elder.
The statement said: “Since February 16, 2019, our fathers have been in detention having been denied bail. Their continuous detention without bail or trial is a violation of their fundamental human rights.
“We are traumatised that Kaduna State government can quickly arraign our parents over alleged killing of ‘66 or 130 Fulanis’; an allegation that is still unproven, but cannot arraign those responsible for the killing of almost 200 Adara natives.
“Our fathers are locked up in a convict prison with murderers, thieves and rapists, even when they have outstandingly served this country in various capacities. They are retirees and advanced in age and manage different forms of life threatening ailments; yet, they are confined to situations that aggravate their fragile health conditions. What have they done to deserve this? What have we done that the country should march on in the face of this broad day travesty?
