The Christian Association of Nigeria has suggested solutions to the rising attacks and killings by bandits in Southern Kaduna.
The Christian body called for the creation of temporary mini barracks in the routes being used by the attackers, community policing, involvement of key stakeholders and neutrality by the government.
The Chairman of CAN in Kaduna State, Rev. Joseph Hayab, who is also the association’s National Vice Chairman, covering the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, stated these in an interview with a correspondent.
According to him, the government has not agreed on a sincere and true definition of the problems in Southern Kaduna.
He said, “If government thinks it has historical influence, then it should go beyond Zango Kataf (1992 and 1995) to the very first causes of the crises in Southern Kaduna. Until we deal with the root, we cannot kill the tree.
“The neutrality of government in the matter leaves a bit of doubt. Government must balance the scale. The judicial process is yet another matter. Till date, no single attacker has been successfully prosecuted, at least not to the knowledge of the larger community. Until you have justice, you cannot have peace.
“Government has been reactionary, instead of being proactive. If truly we want to end the attack, temporary mini barracks should be created in the routes that these attackers follow right in the bush. Community policing is another important issue but even when the government talks about its seriousness, the implementation is poor.
“Involving key stakeholders in the issue is wise and non-negotiable, but what is more important is involving the right stakeholders. On this too, the government has, in my opinion, been doing poorly.”
