Southern Kaduna Killings: Activities of bandits being coated as ethnic, religious — El-Rufai

TRACKING___Governor of Kaduna State, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has stated that the activities of the bandits are being coated as ethnic and religious when they occurred in the southern part of the state,

Governor El-Rufai added that this tends to exacerbate communal tensions and pitch people who have lived peacefully together against each other.

He said insecurity in the state was being perpetrated by criminal elements who had been killing, kidnapping people, and rustling cattle in the entire North-west region.

“These criminals attack people, irrespective of their religion or ethnicity and they have been perpetrating their reign of terror in Giwa, Birnin Gwari, and parts of Igabi Local Government Area.’’

The governor noted that attacks by bandits were not localised to any part of the state, that the state government had taken steps to secure the southern part of the state, including ensuring that a military base and two mobile police squadrons were located there.

He, however, stressed that in addition to security presence, peace required that everyone should obey the rule of law and avoid self-help.

He said, “ultimately peace depends on the willingness of people to live in harmony and to settle their differences peacefully.”