….as union urges British MPs to visit Southern Kaduna for assessment
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and Abuja and the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union have thrown their weight behind the 18 United Kingdom House of Lords, who wrote to the Commonwealth on the spate of killings in Nigeria.
CAN Vice-Chairman, 19 northern states and Abuja, Rev Joseph Hayab, described the British lawmakers’ letter as a wake-up call on the Federal Government.
“CAN therefore welcomes the move by UK lawmakers and hope it will be a wake-up call on our leaders to do what is expected of them constitutionally,” he said.
Hayab, however, lambasted presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, saying FG might be trying in some cases “but his poor presentation about the killings and evil done by bandits always makes victims and relations of victims see the government as uncaring.”
SOKAPU on it part urged the British parliament to send a fact-finding mission to Southern Kaduna.
While also faulting the Presidency, SOKAPU said it would welcome the British lawmakers to the southern part of Kaduna State to see the genocide being perpetrated by suspected Fulani herdsmen against their hosts.
SOKAPU alleged that 109 communities in four local government areas of Southern Kaduna had been captured and were being occupied by Fulani militia.
Union’s spokesman, Luka Binniyat, said, “So far, we have over 80,000 internally displaced persons living under sub-human conditions in Southern Kaduna.
“While the insurgency carried out by Boko Haram in the North- East is well reported by the international media, the genocide carried out by Fulani militia against the natives of Southern Kaduna and many parts of the Middle Belt is ignored. Yet, it has been estimated that the Fulani militia may have killed and plundered more Christian communities in the past two years than Boko Haram.
“SOKAPU wants to use this medium to inform the British lawmakers that as at today, 109 communities in four LGAs of Kaduna State have been captured and are occupied by Fulani militias. So far, we have over 80,000 IDPs living under sub-human conditions in southern Kaduna.
“We shall also be very happy to welcome their fact-finding team to Southern Kaduna to verify our case.”
But a Borno State elder, Professor Khalifa Dikwa, said the British parliamentarians ought to have sent their letter to the African Union or/and Economic Community of West Africa States.
Khalifa said that something should be done urgently to prevent a crisis similar to the one in Mali in Nigeria.
He noted that Western countries failed to act when the present Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, toppled a democratically elected government of Mohammed Morsi.”
He also advised Western governments to “desist from playing double standards of supporting African civilian dictators when their permanent interests are protected.”
