Southern Kaduna Attacks: We’re Ready For Dialogue, Says Monarch

Chief of Kagoro in the Kaura local government area of Kaduna State, Mr Ufuwai Bonet, said his doors are open to dialogue with Fulani people and any warring group towards ensuring permanent peace in his chiefdom.

In the past few days, Kagoro Chiefdom and some communities in Zangon Kataf local government area experienced attacks by gunmen resulting in the killing of about 50 persons, burning of houses, and destruction of properties worth millions of naira in the area.

At the Kagoro Chiefdom Rally and prayers for peace in collaboration with Global Peace Foundation Nigeria on Sunday in Kagoro, Chief Afuwai Bonet said, “For the past two years, the Chiefdom has witnessed attacks by gunmen and all that we hear as the causes of the attacks are mere rumors without any real reason for the attacks resulting to the killings of innocent people and the destruction of properties worth millions of naira. We are ready for any group of people that have any grievances with us to come forward for us to discuss at a roundtable to resolve our differences amicably or we invite the government to resolve any problem affecting our peaceful coexistence.”

He said for years the Kagoro people have been living peacefully with people of other ethnic groups and religions without any problem, saying that the present attacks are so strange to the people that they do not know what could be the problems causing the attacks. The paramount ruler called on all to evolve ways that could usher harmonious relationships that the area is known for in the past, saying that it is the only way that people could go about their legitimate businesses.

The country director of Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, Rev John Joseph Hayab explained that the essence of the programme was to show the determination of the people to live in peace as members of one family under God despite the attacks and killings in the area.

According to him, the plans of the evil ones to cause division among the people of Kogoro and Southern Kaduna would not be achieved, stressing that the people irrespective of any differences will continue to live together as one family under one God and join hands to put the evil ones to shame.

He lamented that some enemies of peace are not pleased seeing Christians and Muslims living peacefully, saying that they aim to continue to cause division among the religious faithful to achieve their evil aims.

Hayab who is also the state chairman of CAN enjoined the people to join hands with the security personnel towards ensuring peace and unity in the area, the local government area, the state, and the country as a whole.

The president of Kagoro Development  Association, Prof Duniya Gambo and the chairman Kagoro Peace and Reconciliation committee,  Mr Sule Kambai all said that the people irrespective of any differences would continue to evolve ways towards peaceful co-existence and prayers for divine intervention for the restoration of peace in the area as they continue to work with Global Peace Foundation Nigeria and any other civil society that will come to promote peace in the chiefdom.

The minority whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Gideon Lucas Gwani, who was at the programme, appealed to the government to hasten the delivery of relief materials to the affected victims. He also called on the government to increase security presence in the area to forestall further attacks.