Police arraign 97 suspects in Kaduna violence

•Sultan decries killings, says terrorism not Islamic
•Assembly mulls death penalty for kidnappers

Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Abdul-Raman, has disclosed that 97 suspects involved in the recent crises in Kasuwan Magani Kujama and Kaduna metropolis have been arraigned.

The commissioner, who disclosed this yesterday at a press conference, explained that some of the suspects were picked after the pandemonium that followed the murder of a monarch, Dr. Maiwada Galadinma by kidnappers.

He said 22 suspects were arrested in connection with the Kasuwan Magani incident, even as additional 23 suspects arrested during subsequent incidents have been jointly charged before Chief Magistrate court 1, on Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kaduna.

He added that other 52 suspects who were arrested in related incidents were equally arraigned in the same court, bring the number to 97.

Abdul-Raman, who said the state police command, alongside other security agencies have brought back normalcy in all the affected areas: added: “The command is currently committed to post violence management efforts, and I am appealing to the general public to support it.”

Meanwhile, President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has expressed concerns about the wanton killing of innocent people in Kaduna.

Sultan, in a statement by Deputy Secretary-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Prof. Salisu Shehu, said the crisis is becoming too frequent and capable of snowballing into a national calamity, if urgent actions were not taken.

He also said the act of terrorism is never part of Islam, adding that, “the most disturbing aspect of the crisis so far, is the religious undertone to which the press is, as usual, is linking it.

“For now, let killings, maiming and wanton destruction of property stop and be immediately replaced with a conducive atmosphere, in which people can move freely in peace and harmony in the pursuit of their desires.

“While we may not be in a position to tell government of the right measures to take in averting these kinds of tragic incidents, we have the right to express our opinion to the effect that the persistence of these incidents is continuously eroding people’s confidence in government.”

The Sultan added that it smacks of lack of cooperation, synergy and coordination among the various security agencies and organisations, needless to talk about near complete absence of intelligence gathering.

Also, Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Barnabas Yusuf Bala, has cautioned Christian clerics against spreading fake reports about crisis in the state.

In a statement on behalf Christian leaders serving in the state government, he also warned them against politicising Christianity.