No fresh killings in Kaduna to justify polls postponement — CAN chairman

The Kaduna State Chairman of the Christian Association of
Nigeria, John Hayab, has called on the Independent National
Electoral Commission to ignore any call for the postponement of
elections in the state.

Hayab, who made the call during an interview with our
correspondents on Tuesday, alleged that the state government was
making issues out of the crisis that happened over a week ago in
eight communities in the state, to justify the need to postpone the
elections.

He said, “To the best of our knowledge, arbitrary arrests of
Southern Kaduna community leaders are increasing, not fresh
killings. We know that there would be false alarm because of
politics and elections and sadly some media houses have allowed
themselves to be used against innocent people.

“The security agencies are just arresting community leaders so
that the people would be annoyed and provoked. Let the state
government come out and tell the whole world where and when the
so-called killings are taking place.

“They were showing on television what they called a shallow
grave where they claimed scores of murdered people were buried
whereas every right-thinking person knows the difference between
what they are showing and a grave. These are some of the
unfortunate things that are going on in Kaduna State and Nigerians
are watching.”

Hayab, who is also an indigene of Southern Kaduna, noted that no
one ever argued that there was no crisis but that his concern was
how the state government was playing politics with the lives of the
people.

He said, “Since February 12 when the killings and reprisals that
led to the death of 11 Adara people and the Fulani happened, I
challenge anyone to come out with genuine proof that fresh killings
that had shot the figure of dead people to 130 as claimed by the
governor, had taken place

“Are the 130 figure recorded within the period that he raised
the alarm or were they killed after he raised his alarm? The
governor should come clear and tell the people all these
things.

“There is no security issue in Kaduna that could justify the
postponement of the election in the state. It is an isolated case
and it is happening everywhere in the country.”

He added, “We are calling on INEC not to give in to cheap
blackmail. The total number of registered voters in that area are
not even up to 1, 000. It is not even a determining figure for
Kaduna State.”