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Southern Kaduna Killings Now Highly Suspicious, Alarming, CAN Alerts
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), yesterday, described as ‘highly suspicious and alarming’ the wanton attacks on Southern Kaduna people.
The CAN President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, in a statement, said the ongoing crisis in Southern Kaduna shows Nigeria at war with internal enemies of the state.
He said despite assurances from both the federal and Kaduna State governments to nip the crisis in the bud, the spiralling of the attacks indicate that the perpetrators are yet to sheathe their swords against communities in Southern Kaduna.
Ayokunle said, “There is no doubt that the victims of these incessant assaults are indigenes of Kaduna State who are mostly Christians.
“Why is it the predominantly Christian Southern Kaduna all the time? Don’t we have Northern Kaduna?
“While the senseless murder is not desirable in any part of the state or Nigeria, the continuous assault of the Southern Kaduna people has become highly suspicious and alarming. Only a fool or somebody who is a party to this evil would not know that there is something fishing.
“The leadership of CAN expressed shock when the presidency described the current bloodshed in Southern Kaduna as politically motivated coupled with banditry deployed along ethnic and religious lines.
“Where is the statistical evidence for that? Who are politicians sponsoring this inhuman and callous act? Why have the Federal authorities failed to apprehend or name them? Do they have the right to be doing this scot-free if it is true?”
The CAN President, therefore, described the bloodbaths in southern Kaduna as acts of criminality that should attract severe sanctions.
He said, moreover, the lacklustre disposition of the government in stopping further massacre of Christians and decimation of their communities by terrorist herdsmen speaks volumes on how it values human lives.
“Should the gunmen and terrorists be more powerful than a legitimate government? Why couldn’t the Kaduna State Government with Federal authorities go into the bush where these herdsmen are and apprehend them? Why couldn’t they mop up the ammunition with which they are doing havoc?
“We have discovered that whenever security personnel get deployed to a place, the herdsmen go to other villages to attack and kill people in their sleep or when they are about to sleep or when they are waking up. Should the criminals be more professional in tactics than the government trained security personnel?
“It is regrettable that despite assurances from Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai to bring perpetrators of the Southern Kaduna crimes to justice, the state and security agencies involved in the maintenance of law and order are yet to fulfil their pledge.
“If our leaders are not able to nip evil in the board, then, why are they there? Should they be there for jamboree? Why do we call them ‘His Excellency’ when they cannot guarantee our security?”
Ayokunle, equally, urged the federal government to address the constant murders and ethnic war going on in Taraba State. And, the constant herdsmen’s attack on people of Benue State and the banditry in the entire Northwest.
“If the size of our security agents is too small to effectively secure the lives of the citizens of this country, why can’t the Federal Government engage more people? We have millions of young people who are jobless and are ready to defend their nation against internal and external aggression.
“The time is now for those God has committed leadership to their hands to show pragmatism and commitment.
“We have no other people to look up to for security than those of you in government. That was one of the reasons we put you there for all of us.”
Ayokunle warned that Nigerians should not be allowed to resort to self-help.
However, he stressed that if the situation is not addressed, self-help might be the alternative.
“As umbrella body for Christians in Nigeria, we share in the pains of victims of terror, particularly, those terrorized in Southern Kaduna and other communities.
“There is the urgent need by government and the security forces to walk their talk. They should combat the raging insecurity squarely across Kaduna state and other parts of the country.
“The government should not think that we are not appreciative of their efforts. However, we say without mincing words that your present best is unacceptable. It is not the best Nigerians expect. How can we see and read about mass burials and be happy when we are not fighting a civil war? We deserve peace in Nigeria.”
He said CAN will keep praying for government to find courage to tackle the insecurity giving Nigeria negative image abroad.
Meanwhile, the Commander of Operation Safe Haven, Maj-Gen Chukwuemeka Okonkwo has denied the killings in Southern Kaduna as ethnic cleansing.
The killing, he said, were activities of criminal elements on both sides.
On his part, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, said his administration has done everything within its constitutional powers to bring peace in Southern Kaduna and all parts of the state for over five years.
Okonkwo and El-Rufai spoke at a high level security meeting at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, Kaduna, yesterday.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Okonkwo said: ‘’What we have were attacks on some communities and reprisal attacks.’’
According to him, both sides of the conflict have been attacking each other but ‘’the reports are not balanced. Perhaps, most of the media houses don’t know, both sides are actually involved.
‘’You have Kataf youths, Fulani militias and the criminal elements of both sides.
“Some people are also leveraging on the security situation to perpetuate their criminal activities, aside communities involved in the crisis,’’ Okonkwo added.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has cautioned parents to closely monitor their children’s craving for cookies and gummies, warning that some of the products may contain illicit substances being smuggled into the country.
In a statement posted yesterday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said recent seizures by the agency’s officers had revealed attempts by criminal elements to introduce prohibited substances under the guise of everyday snacks.
“As parents, if your kids and young ones always crave for cookies and gummies, you may have to pay a little more attention. There may be more to it than ordinary cookies and gummies,” Babafemi wrote, sharing images of seized packages.
The photos showed colourful pouches of “Cookies Delta 8 Gummies” in flavours such as Hawaiian Rain Pineapple Guava and Thai Mango, labelled as vegan and hemp-derived, alongside the actual gummy products.
The warning comes amid a major interception by the Nigeria Customs Service at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
Officers seized two 40-foot containers containing large quantities of cannabis-infused products concealed among legitimate imports such as used vehicles, generators, batteries and fabrics.
The consignment included thousands of Delta-8 cannabis pre-roll cookies, packs of cannabis-infused gummies and other cannabis-infused cookies, with a combined estimated street value of about ?373.8m.
The items were subsequently handed over to the NDLEA.
NDLEA officials described the products, which originated from the United States and were packaged to resemble ordinary vegan snacks with appealing flavours, as an emerging public health threat.
They noted that the attractive packaging could appeal especially to children, students and young people, raising the risk of accidental consumption of concentrated cannabis.
The Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) has announced plans to partner with the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) to strengthen efforts at combating illegal waste dumping and improving environmental sanitation across the state.
The partnership was unveiled during a meeting between officials of RIWAMA and the leadership of the Rivers State chapter of the PCRC in Port Harcourt, recently, where both organisations pledged to work together to restore the Garden City status of the state capital.
In his speech, the Supervisor of Market and Community Sanitation in RIWAMA, Mr. Omereji Ukoha, said the collaboration was in line with the vision of the agency’s Managing Director, Dr. Ibimina Wokoma, and the Board Chairman, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, to promote a cleaner and healthier environment.
Ukoha described the PCRC as a strategic grassroots partner capable of mobilising communities and driving behavioural change through sustained public enlightenment on proper waste disposal.
He expressed concern over the increasing rate of indiscriminate refuse dumping in parts of Port Harcourt, particularly in New GRA, where blocked drainage channels and illegal shanties have continued to contribute to flooding and environmental degradation.
According to him, the agency is determined to intensify enforcement against environmental offenders, warning that unregistered cart pushers and residents who patronise them would be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the RIWAMA Act, 2014.
The RIWAMA official urged residents to embrace proper waste disposal practices and patronise only government-approved waste operators in order to safeguard public health and protect the environment.
Responding, the Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee in Rivers State, Dr. Voke Emore, commended RIWAMA for seeking collaboration with the committee in addressing environmental challenges confronting the state.
Emore said the PCRC would deploy its community-based structures across the state to support public sensitisation and encourage residents to comply with environmental sanitation regulations.
He also called on local government councils to play more active roles in waste management, noting that they collect sanitation levies and should complement the efforts of the state government in maintaining a clean environment.
The PCRC chairman described indiscriminate refuse disposal as a serious environmental and public health concern, stressing that sustained collaboration among government agencies, community leaders and residents remained critical to achieving lasting sanitation goals.
Both organisations expressed optimism that the partnership would promote cleaner communities, reduce environmental hazards and strengthen public participation in efforts to ensure a healthier and more sustainable environment for the people of Rivers State.
King Onunwor
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested five suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate allegedly terrorising communities in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the State.
The State Police Command disclosed this in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, ASP Blessing Agabe, in Port Harcourt, recently.
The suspects were arrested during a coordinated operation at Oyigbo, following directives by the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, CP Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju.
Those arrested were Ezekiel Emmanuel, 44, from Benue State; Chukwuma Mbanefor, 51, from Anambra State; Nicholas Diala, 65, from Imo State; Ndubuisi Uwakwe, 49, from Abia State; and Ifeanyi Nwakwo, 51, from Imo State.
The Command said the arrest represented another significant operational success in its ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating in the State.
According to the Police, preliminary investigation indicated that the suspects were allegedly involved in kidnapping operations within Rivers State.
The suspects, during interrogation, allegedly confessed to their involvement in kidnapping and further admitted participating in several operations carried out in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.
The Command said investigation was ongoing, with efforts intensified to identify and apprehend other members of the suspected syndicate who may be connected with the criminal activities.
The Police boss said the operation reflected the implementation of operational directives and the intelligence-driven policing strategy of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc, NPM.
Adepoju reaffirmed the Command’s determination to sustain aggressive intelligence-led operations against kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and other violent crimes across Rivers State.
He warned kidnappers and other criminal elements operating in the State that there would be no safe haven for them, stressing that the Command would relentlessly pursue, arrest and ensure that those found culpable were brought to justice.
The Commissioner further assured residents of the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, urging members of the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies in the fight against crime.
He appealed to residents to provide the Police with credible and timely information capable of assisting security operatives in preventing criminal activities and apprehending suspected criminals.
The Command urged members of the public who may have useful information on the activities of the suspected kidnapping syndicate or other criminal elements to contact the Police through its emergency lines, assuring that such information would assist ongoing investigations.
King Onunwor
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