Sola Ojo, Kaduna

The Chairman, Northern Traditional Rulers Council and Sultan of Sokoto, Dr Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Monday called on those involved in the killings in Southern Kaduna to stop the violence, saying ‘enough is enough’.

The traditional ruler described the killings in Southern Kaduna as ‘madness that has to be stopped immediately,’ adding that ‘no man in his right senses goes on a killing spree of innocent people.’

Speaking at the Council’s executive meeting held at Lugard Hall, Kaduna, the Sultan called out politicians as being the force behind unrests in the southern part of the northwestern State.

‘No politicians mean well for them,’ the Sultan said, ‘if you keep on igniting killings based on ethno-religious differences, because it is the innocent children that are killed while that of the elites are protected.’

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Earlier in the meeting, Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai had reminded the gathering that the Southern Kaduna crises have persisted for the past 40 years since the first Kasuwan Magani riot.

According to the Givernor, ‘Kaduna is a mini-Nigeria with over 52 ethnic groups, meaning that 10 per cent of Nigeria’s ethnic groups are from Kaduna State.

‘The danger of it is that crimes committed by criminals for their own selfish motives are given ethno-religious interpretations.’

Speaking on what his administration has been doing to abate the killings, the Governor said ‘a military base, mobile police depot, Air Force and strike force personnel have been deployed to the zone.

‘Also, equipment like drones and GSM trackers are being used which had helped to neutralise thousands of the bandits in the State. We also set up a peace commission to mitigate between the aggrieved people.’