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Stakeholders in southern Kaduna move to curtail bloodshed

By Segun Olaniyi (Abuja) and Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi (Jos)
25 July 2017   |   4:13 am
Stakeholders in southern Kaduna yesterday held a peace parley to prevent further carnage in the area.

Gideon Para-Mallam

 •Students petition Rights Commission over schools’ closure
Stakeholders in southern Kaduna yesterday held a peace parley to prevent further carnage in the area.

They included religious and community leaders, as well as security operatives.

The chief convener of the meeting, Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam appealed for peace to allow justice to prevail in the troubled area.

According to him, “There can be no peace without justice, hence we must seek ways to end these senseless killings.”

Para-Mallam said there was the need to prevent further attacks, adding that government alone could not provide the needed peace unless the citizens were willing to coexist peacefully.

The Special Task Force (STF) on Jos crisis was part of the citizens monitoring group’s meeting, which was held in Kafancha, in Jama’a Local Council Area of Kaduna State.

The convener said there was an urgent need to mop up the illegal arms in people’s possession to prevent further loss of lives.

He urged government to wake up to its primary responsibility of protecting the lives and property of its citizens.

The cleric said it was unnecessary for the state government to have closed the three tertiary institutions in the area.

The schools, which were closed in November 2016, are the School of Nursing, College of Education and the Kaduna State University.

The Commander of the taskforce, Maj Gen. Rogers Nicholas, promised that his men would deal ruthlessly with any troublemaker caught in the act.

“We have been mandated to bring peace to the four local council areas in Southern Kaduna and we have commenced operations. In doing so, we have mounted checkpoints in all the flashpoints to mop up illegal arms in the hands of civilians,” he said.

The STF commander warned herdsmen not to graze their cattle on farms, while also asking farmers not to block cattle routes for the sake of peace.

The traditional ruler of Agwam Bajju, Nuhu Bature, the Deputy Chief Iman of Kafanchan, Mammi Kashim and the Bishop of Anglican Church, Rev. Markus Dogo, said peace was needed for the socio-economic development of the area.

Meanwhile, students, under the aegis of Southern Kaduna Youth and Students Forum (SKYSFOM), yesterday stormed the office of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) demanding the reopening of the closed schools.

They submitted their petition, which was addressed to the Executive Secretary, Prof Bem Angwe.

The National President of the body, Galadima Jesse urged the Federal government, the National Assembly, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and all stakeholders to persuade the state government to reopen the schools

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