Nasir el-Rufai, governor of
Kaduna state, has inaugurated a 10-man judicial commission to investigate the
communal crisis in Kajuru, Kachia and Chikun local government areas (LGAs) of
the state.
The development comes five months
after el-Rufai announced plans to set up the commission.
Speaking at the inauguration of
the panel on Wednesday, el-Rufai charged the commission to investigate and
identify the immediate and remote causes of the crisis from 2017 till date in
the three LGAs and surrounding communities.
Several Kaduna communities have
suffered series of attacks, leading to loss of lives and destruction of
property.
In April, suspected bandits
attacked Kajuru castle, a holiday resort, killing two people including a
British expatriate.
The state government had pegged
the death toll of a February attack on the local government at 130.
El-Rufai urged the panel to
“identify individuals, traditional and religious institutions and other
associations that might have contributed to the build-up of the disturbances
and recommend further action by government”.
He asked the commission to make
appropriate recommendations to the state government on steps to be taken to
forestall future occurrences of the crisis.
The commission was given three
months to conclude its assignment.
“Assess and determine the extent
of loss of lives and property and other forms of damage caused during the
disturbances and identify the perpetrators of the dastardly acts for further
action by government,” el-Rufai said.
“Make any other recommendations
to government consequential to or related to any or all these terms of
reference…and recommend appropriate legal and other actions to be taken against
those responsible for the disturbances.
“This year alone, mass killings
and displacements were reported in communities within Kajuru LGA in February
and March.
“Amidst the contending narratives
by the parties involved in the conflict, the state government is convinced that
building sustainable peace in the area, requires that all the facts around the
episodes of violent conflict be established.
“Therefore, while visiting
Karamai community in Kajuru LGA on 2nd March 2019, I announced that the Kaduna
State Government had decided to establish a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into
the communal conflict in Kajuru Local Government Area.
“One of the problems that has
driven conflict in Kaduna State is that people have taken sides in these
conflicts, not based on reason but along ethnic or religious lines.
“We are confident that from the
track record f the chairman and members of the Commission, you are well above
that. We have selected the members from all parts of the country, but with
in-depth knowledge of Kaduna state, because we believe that the conflict in
Kajuru and surrounding areas is of interest to the entire nation.
“Every Nigerian has a stake in
knowing what is happening in Kajuru and surrounding communities.”
The commission is headed by Isa
Aliyu, a judge of the state high court. Other members of the commission include
Abdullahi Shehu, B. C. Osuji, U. U. Shehu, Hannatu Ugah, rear admiral Ferguson
Bobai and Auwal Aliyu Damau.
Others are Muhammad Sani Isa, Yusuf Biniyat, Salim Umar,
M.I. Aliyu, and Edward Andow, who is to serve as secretary to the commission.
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