24-hour curfew in Kafanchan

A 24 hours curfew has been imposed on Kafanchan by the local government following skirmishes on Thursday night which allegedly led to the killing of an unidentified number of people.

 

The state government and the leadership of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has however appealed for calm in the area, while the Police says that normalcy has returned to Kafanchan.

 

As at the time of this report, two version of reports from Kafanchan regarding what transpired were available, with tension gradually building up within the metropolis.

 

While one version says that there was violence leading to the death of some people, another version says that there was no violence, but that there was rumour late on Thursday about a planned attack which never took place.

 

“There was rumour yesterday that there will be an attack. That generated serious tension in the town. As we speak right now, we are indoor because a curfew has been imposed on Kafanchan. Nobody can go out.

“We have been trying to call the local government chairman since nobody can go out, but he has not been picking his calls. But I can tell you that there are security operatives everywhere. Yesterday, they went round on a show of force and that further heighten the tension in the town”, said the source.

 

The state governor, Mukthar Ramalan Yero asked the people of the area to remain calm and law abiding as Government is doing all within its powers to contain the breach of security in the area and directed security agencies in the state to take necessary actions at returning peace and normalcy to the area following skirmishes over misunderstanding among the people.

 

Spokesman to the governor, Ahmed Maiyaki said in a statement made available to The Nation on Saturday quoted the governor as asking the people of Kafanchan to always embrace dialogue as the only means of resolving conflicts rather than resort to taking the laws into their own hands.

 

The governor warned those fomenting trouble in the state to desist from their devilish plots to plunge the state into confusion, adding that “as a responsible Government, we shall not shirk our constitutional duty of protecting the lives and property of the entire people of Kaduna State, no matter what it will take.”

 

He assured that the government was already investigating the root cause of the conflict and will not hesitate to prosecute anyone found culpable, irrespective of their status in the society and asked the people of the state to go about their lawful businesses in disregard of rumours that may be intended to escalate the situation saying “government, with the support of security agencies has already brought the situation in Kafanchan under control.”

 

Governor Yero however commiserated with victims of the crisis and thank all the people of Kaduna State for their continuous support to his administration in its unrelenting efforts at building lasting peace and unity among the diverse people of the state.

 

President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), Dr. Ephraim Goje appealed for calm in the area while asking the government and security agents to fish out those responsible for the killing of a young man on Monday night which prompted the present action.

 

Goje told The Nation on phone that those responsible for the action were enemies of Kaduna state in particular and Nigeria in general and should be brought to book.

 

He said “we condemned what is going on in Kafanchan and asked those who initiated the crisis as a result of the killing of a young man to lay down their arms and embrace peace and dialogue in the interest of the state.

He said further that as a community, SOKAPU is not happy about the constant attack on communities in southern Kaduna and has been appealing to the people to exercise restraints while asking the government to do everything humanly possible to address the problem and put an end to such killings.

 

Also in a statement, the Centre for Development and Rights Advocacy reinterated its earlier call on the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the entire southern Kaduna with a view to putting a stop to the constant attack on communities in the area by unknown gunmen.

 

In the alternative, they want to government to deploy special troupes to the area to contain the brewing insecurity in the whole Southern Kaduna region that shares borders with Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, and Bauchi States, and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. 

Spokesman of the Centre, John Danfulani said “once more, we woke up today (Friday, 20th September, 2013) with the sad news of another ethno-religious skirmish on Thursday in Kafanchan, Kaduna State between indigenous people of Southern Kaduna and Hausa-Fulani settlers.

 

“Report reaching us shows that lives have been lost. Before yesterday (Thursday) night’s anarchy, early signs of coming anarchy were clear but nothing was done to forestall it. Albeit yesterday’s killings and 24 hours curfew imposed in the town.

 

“Yesterday’s Kafanchan mayhem along with others, are justifying our earlier call for a declaration of a state of emergency in Southern Kaduna area of the State. Because there are evidences of gross incompetence in administrative and physical management of security in the area.

 

“It is now clear; no security arrangement other than total declaration of State of Emergency can nip in the bud this anomie. We have said it before and reiterating it now that there is a genocide scheme in Southern Kaduna going by the persistent killings with impunity. This was how Rwanda and Yugoslavia genocides started. We hope the world will not continue to look the other way in the face of this entire growing phenomenon.

 

“Consequently, we beseech Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigerian Armed Forces to act by adding troubled Southern Kaduna region on the list of states under emergency rule. Mr. President should wear deaf ears on any counsel against a full declaration of a state of emergency in the area.

 

“Like Federal Government acted in nearby Nasarawa State, we are demanding fast deployment of troops or at best special military squad to contain the brewing insecurity in the whole Southern Kaduna region that shares borders with Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, and Bauchi States, and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

 

 “We are also demanding hourly aerial patrol on thick forests in the area, said to be the globally known International Cattle and Grazing routes in view of its unpolice nature and possible safe haven for bandits and terrorists.“We will not hesitate to hold security agencies, Federal Government, and Kaduna State government responsible should the situation become worst far from the ugly trend we are in. A stitch in time saves nine”.