By
Gbemiga Olakunle
We are watching with breathtaking amazement the level of
destruction of lives and property reportedly going on in Southern
Kaduna . The conflict in the area has claimed about 808 lives,
while about 57 persons suffered life threatening injuries in the hands of
suspected Fulani herdsmen. The body language of The Presidency on this
situation is troubling. President Muhammadu Buhari has not uttered any word of
condemnation on the reported mass killing that can be likened to genocide.
However, the Sultan
of Sokoto has reportedly frowned at the wanton destruction of lives and
property in the area. The respected traditional ruler and head of the Muslim
community in Nigeria
Rev. Father Paul
Jatau has, however, accused the governor of being complacent in his handling of
the contentious matter. In fact, the Rev. Father went ahead to allege that it
was the refusal of the Southern Kaduna
residents to turn their lands into grazing reserves for the Fulani herdsmen
that formed the bedrock of the crisis. About 808 human lives are reportedly
lost in a particular section of a Federating Unit within the Federal Republic
of Nigeria and yet the Presidency has not deemed it fit to utter a single word
or condemnation whether it means it or not!
We are talking of
human lives here and not those of chickens. Even if such lives belong to other
animals, what does it cost the authorities concerned to condemn such
unwarranted destruction in unmistaken terms before going ahead to investigate
the matter with a view to getting to its root and stopping it? Since the Sultan
of Sokoto and the President of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs
(NSCIA) has strongly condemned the destruction and advised both the President
and the Governor of the affected State on what to do, there is no need to
further over-flog the matter.
