in Nigeria’s north-west region.
The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has commended
the Federal Government for the deployment of troops to communities
that were attacked by gunmen in the area.
At least five local government areas in the region have been
under heavy attacks by gunmen and suspected ethnic militias since
the beginning of the year.
Many lives and property worth millions of naira have been lost
while many households were displaced as a result of the
attacks.
In a statement on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary,
Luka Binniyat, SOKAPU noted that with the additional deployment of
soldiers to the troubled communities, the villagers have started
returning and many of them, who could afford to rebuild their
homes, have begun to do so.
It thanked the Commander of Operation Safe Haven for the recent
fast response of troops to distress calls from communities under
attack or threat of attacks, unlike in the past.
The union gave an assurance that the people of Southern Kaduna
would shun any action that would be inimical to the good image,
wellbeing and peace of the area, without compromising their rights
to self-preservation within the law.
It also appealed to youths of the region not to initiate any act
that could be interpreted as violent to anyone trespassing on any
farmland, but to report such incidents to the relevant constituted
authorities.
motorcycles burnt by bandits in Kaduna State in March
2020.
Part of the statement read, “SOKAPU assured the OPSH commander
that with no other alternative place or land to fall back to,
Southern Kaduna indigenes are much more desirous of peace than any
other party.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});We also used the opportunity to thank him for the recent fast
response rate of his troops to distress calls from communities
under attack or the threat of attacks, unlike in the past. We also
noted his humanitarian assistance to all parties in Southern Kaduna
as exceptional.Again, we showed appreciation with his deployment of large
numbers of troops to Zangan District, in Atakad Chiefdom, Kaura LGA
which eight communities had been totally displaced since last year
and occupied by armed herdsmen.We acknowledged reports reaching us that the villagers have
started returning and many of them, who can afford it, are
rebuilding their homes.Based on the above, we requested that other displaced
communities in four LGAs of Southern Kaduna should also be assisted
to return home.We then gave him a list of the remaining occupied villages in
our report and called for urgent actions to retrieve the occupied
lands and bring culprits to justiceWith this, thousands who may wish to return home cannot, because
their homes have been completely ruined. Also, hundreds of hectares
farmlands of affected communities have been ravaged by cattle on
the loose.We also have thousands living under subhuman conditions in
various IDPs or at homes of relations. We are, therefore, calling
for assistance from the government, NGOs and good spirited
individuals for building materials, food, medicine, and any form of
aid that will improve the situation of the victims.