El-Rufai talks tough, vows to prosecute those igniting southern Kaduna crisis

Governor Nasiru El-Rufa’i of Kaduna State, on Tuesday, said those involved in precipitating the southern Kaduna crisis would be tracked down and prosecuted.
The governor told the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Southern Kaduna Crisis that the government would not hedge in prosecuting those involved.
“There is a lot of fake news on the crisis. They take pictures of the crisis in Rwanda and Boko Haram and post it as happening in southern Kaduna. This is done every day because there are no consequences.
“But there will be, because we are tracking these people, we are going to frame charges and we are going to bring these people to Kaduna and they will face a judge.
“If the judge says they have done nothing wrong, that is fine, but they will go before a judge.”
He charged the Senate committee “to see the reality of what is happening in southern Kaduna as against the fiction.”
The governor also advised the committee not to believe anyone “based on his credibility or apparent credibility”, including the statement credited to the Catholic Church in Kafanchan, which he described as “totally false.”
He further told the committee that there were several “irresponsible comments on the crisis by people who should know better.”
According to him, even the figures released by the National Emergency Management Agency on the crisis were those of six local governments and involves Christians, Muslims and traditionalists trapped in the crisis.
“I feel it is very important to appreciate the many dimensions of this problem, and part of what has contributed to it also is the disposition of security agencies.
“I have already mentioned the instance in which a police sergeant, who is supposed to impose curfew, was the one organising women to come out and throw stones at us.
“What we now found is that about 90 per cent of all the policemen in southern Kaduna are from southern Kaduna and they have taken side.
“They have been pursuaded by the narrative there that when certain crimes happen, don’t even report it.
“When we went to Kafanchan for the special security council meeting, it was policemen from the Government House that were calling to say we have arrived, let the women now come out.”
He also accused some traditional rulers in the area of perpetuating the crisis for selfish reasons, but said the government would also prosecute them.
“Most of the traditional rulers, community leaders, religious leaders are accomplices and are part of this problem, they don’t want a solution.
“But as I said, everyday we are getting wiser, we are learning we are going to approach this problem in three steps.
“One, is law enforcement. We are going to apply the law, whoever is suspected will be arrested and prosecuted.
“We are also going to ensure that the state government along with security agencies have a monopoly of violence, its the only way.
“All those talking about self help, preaching hate, we are documenting them and we are going to frame charges against them, wherever they are.
“We have one Nigeria Police, you may be in Lagos writing nonsense, you will be arrested and brought to Kaduna and we will put you before a judge to prove that you have not done this.
“We will charge them for being accessories to murder, charge them for plethora of offences.”
The governor said the administration would embark on peace building with those not involved in the crisis.
“The third is to maintain and sustain enhanced security presence in southern Kaduna,” he said, adding that the government would handover a facility for the quick take off of the military garrison in Kafanchan.
Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Senator Kabir Gaya had told the governor that their target was to investigate and find solution to the crisis.
“Our mission is to interact, discuss with government, stakeholders, community leaders, security agencies on the remote causes of continuous crisis in the sourthern part of the state.
“Information received so far is commendable on government effort on addressing the crisis,” he said.
Gaya advised the governor to continue engaging the people through constant interraction to bring about lasting peace.
The chairman, however, expressed concern on the misuse of the social media to propagate falsehood, indicating that the Senate would revisit the bill to regulate the use of social media in the country.
“I believe the Senate will revisit the social media bill to see how people using it can be handled,” he said, and blamed politicians and ethnic groups for precipating crisis in the country.