Okwe Obi, Abuja
Peace advocates under the aegis of Southern Kaduna Peace Practitioners Network (SOKIPEP), have condemned the killing of the District Head of Gidan Zaki Village in Zangon Kataf Local Government Council of Kaduna State, Haruna Kuyet, and his son, by unknown gunmen who, also, inflicted injuries on his wife.
SOKIPEP National Coordinator, Rev. Dauda Fadia, in a statement, Tuesday, described the latest arson as callous, insensitive and reprehensible, especially at a time when the region was beginning to enjoy relative peace and tranquillity.
Aside condoling with the family of the deceased, the people of Southern Kaduna, and Kaduna State government, Fadia urged security personnel to double their efforts in fishing out the culprits in order for them to be used as a deterrent to others.
While appealing to the people to remain calm and await the outcome of an investigation, the cleric described the late monarch as a peacemaker and one who championed the development of his people.
“We received with rude shock the barbaric, inhuman, retrogressive, and isolated dastardly attack and gruesome killings of the district head of Gidan Zaki village in Zangon Kataf Local Government Council of Kaduna State, Mr Haruna Kuyet, his son and machete attack of his wife by some criminal elements.
“We condole with the families, community and Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State over this development. Our hearts go to the family, community and the entire Zango Kataf people. We pray for the repose of their souls.
“This callous and insensitive action is reprehensible. It is regrettable that this came at a time peace had returned to the area.
“The intention of the attackers is yet unknown to us even as we are compelled to believe that their premedicated action was intended to cause ethnoreligious disharmony in our area.
“This is so, given that the attackers, according to our findings carried out their dastardly act in hooded form.
“We wish to further state that all evidence and information available to us are pointing to the fact that the killings are clear cases of assassinations.
“While not trying to indict or exonerate anyone, we call on the security agencies to probe these killings thoroughly. The probe must start from the community to the outside world.
“They should not be swayed by any statement which may be issued by some fifth columnists and crisis entrepreneurs to divert their attention from the crime to a particular tribe or religion just to cover their evil agenda.
“Besides, we task the security agencies to probe the killings with neutrality, with the view to bringing the culprits to book.
“The district head was a peacemaker who whose reign we adjudged to be fair and just to all. He was known for his uprightness and sincerity and so did not deserve to die in the manner his attackers killed him and his lovely son. Their deaths must not be in vain.
“All hands must be on deck to track and arrest the killers and soon, too,” he said.