S/KADUNA CRISIS: 700 Killed, 100,000 Displaced, Group Claims
The youth wing of Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU) has called on the authorities to secure and rebuild their communities affected by the series of attacks on their people, saying over 700 natives were killed and 100,000 displaced.
Comrade John Isaac, SOKAPU National Youth Leader, said the southern region of Kaduna, comprising of Jema’a, Jaba, Kagarko, Kachia, Sanga, Kaura, Kauru, Zangon Kataf, Lere, Kajuru and Chickun LGAs, had been ravaged by the criminal activities of armed herdsmen for years.
As claimed by him, estimates of the negative impacts of the barbaric attacks included approximately 900,000
people adversely affected, about 100,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), including over 10 internally displaced person camps (IDP) mostly in religious homes, over 700 deaths and even more people severely injured or missing, with hundreds of millions worth of farm produce distroyed.
“Many of the affected residents now live in IDP camps, with host families away from their original homes and in host communities. Many host communities are severely stressed, having to cater for the large influx of displaced people from places directly hit by the attacks.These attacks have also resulted in extensive damage to social, economic, health and market infrastructure. Numerous homes have been destroyed. Many schools, hospitals, markets and places of worship have been destroyed or closed. Many communities have been completely abandoned, especially in parts of Chickun, Kajuru and Zangon-Kataf LGAs,” he told journalists.
The youth leader explained that while there was still a semblance of economic and agricultural activities in some parts of the affected communities, the economy of most of such communities are at the verge of collapse as farmers for the fear of attacks can no longer go to their farms.
While the SOKAPU youth wing commended the Peace Initiative of the Kaduna State Government under the leadership of Governor Nasir El-Rufai following the ‘House Of Kaduna Family’’ peace initiative, it believes achieving peace and tranquillity in the region will require bringing an end to the killings, culprits identified and brought to book and effectively handling the humanitarian crisis and implementation of an effective reintegration and rebuilding programme as well as the effective reconstruction of social and physical infrastructures across the affected communities.
It solicited the provision of adequate security and conducive atmosphere for agricultural activities to thrive.
“SOKAPU youth wing is against this backdrop urging both the Federal and State Governments and their agencies, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Kaduna State Ministry in charge of riots,damages, rehabilitations, and resettlements to, as a matter of urgency act fast in rebuilding ravaged communities and reintegrating families and persons displaced by this senseless acts of terror”, the group said
“We are also calling on all humanitarian bodies to assist in the processes of rebuilding the region.
We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to members of the press for their consistency in telling the world the undiluted story of Southern Kaduna and the resistance of our people against these acts of genocide and terror.
We urge you to adhere to your professional ethics of unbiased reportage and continue to play your roles as the conscience of every society”.
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