From Okwe Obi, Abuja
A group known as Southern Kaduna Peace Practitioners (SOKIPEP) has condemned calls for the redeployment of the leadership of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), in the state
This is even as it passed a vote of confidence in the OPSH Commander, and the troops of the internal security outfit in Southern Kaduna and Plateau State.
SOKIPEP National President, Dauda Fadia, in a statement yesterday, cautioned a group, Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), to desist from causing division in the state
Fadia, who labelled the handlers of SOKAPU as merchants of crises, he asked the OPSH’s Commander not to give attention to the group.
He said, “The purported statement from SOKAPU is not the position of the good people of Southern Kaduna,rather a position of a few individuals unknown to our area. The handlers of this group have been known for their deep involvement in aiding and abating crisis in our area.
“As a peace advocacy group, SOKIPEP passes a vote of confidence in the leadership of Operation Safe Haven and all the troops of the internal security outfit for their tireless and professional efforts to keep the people of Southern Kaduna and Plateau State safe.
“The call for the deployment of the OPSH Commander by SOKAPU is not only selfish but also a desperation of crisis promoters.
“The position of SOKAPU goes to show that the group is not in touch with the community it claims to represent. This is very sad! If they were, they would have naturally known all the efforts of the military outfit in Southern Kaduna.
“I think what a reasonable group should be doing is to commend the tireless efforts of the Operation Safe Haven and appeal to the military high command for more deployment of personnel to the area and not condemnation.”
He recalled with regret that, “recently, during the cause of defending the Southern Kaduna communities, two military men lost their lives.
“About two days ago, another soldier was killed after killing several of the bandits who attacked a community in Bassa Local Government of Plateau State. How can you pass a vote of confidence on OPSH when as a matter of fact, Southern Kaduna would have been a shadow of itself if not for the operation?
“Insecurity is a national problem that the federal government is working tirelessly to address. For us as peace practitioners, we view this call by SOKAPU as sentimental, desperation,and sponsored by some enemies of peace.
“We, therefore, call on all men of goodwill to ignore this selfish call and work out workable solutions for peace and stability in Southern Kaduna,”it said.
“From our findings,Operation Safe Haven has been up and doing in the area, in kinetic and even non kinetic including providing humanitarian support for IDPs. How can SOKAPU be this wicked?”
