Southern Kaduna crisis: 18 communities displaced, 32 schools shut – SOKAPU

He explained that in Chikun Local Government Area alone, 18 communities have been permanently displaced with about 32 schools closed as a result of the incessant invasion, abduction or kidnapping of residents.

Speaking at the interdenominational prayer organized by the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Kaduna State chapter for the restoration of peace in Southern part of the state and the state as a whole, Mr. Asake said, “Let no one be deceived, the agenda of these incessant attacks is to take over our land.

“The same story goes to Kajuru Local Government Area where over 30 communities have been living in permanent displacement with over 50,000 people being displaced from their communities with no recognised camps to cater for these people. Only spiritual organisations, some good individuals and other groups that attend to them.

“There are some people that are not even known of where they are staying.”

“We are law-abiding citizens, we live by the law but we have gathered these resources and give our political leaders the trust to protect us, the constitution prescribed it that the basic essence of government is the security and welfare of the people. This security is not there in our communities with property worth billions of naira are destroyed every time and nothing is being done.

“The perpetrators, some of them are occupying our communities, they are still there and some are not occupying but you dire not go there, you will be killed because many have lost their lives trying to go back to those communities. The perpetrators must be apprehended because they are known and should be brought to book,” he explained.

He noted, “What is the way forward? The voice of our governor always comes to me who said the way forward is the communities that are the victims, that are being massacred every day and being chased out that the solution lies with those same people. What a wrong narrative, what are the resources that you collect every month in Abuja. He has told the world that he has collected N16 billion to keep security, where is the security?”

Mr. Asake lamented, “Right from 11th June, 2020, Zangon Kataf has been under 24-hour curfew, the people dire not go to farm, you dire not go to the market. By any standards in the world, there has been no time that you impose 24-hour curfew on the people but it has been done and nobody is taking care of this people. They are under hunger, but the worst of the story is that within the time, we have had three major attacks in the local government with almost 70 lives been killed and properties destroyed.

“So the solution does not lay with the people, it lays with the authorities.”