By ibrahima yakubu
The Kaduna State Peace Commission (KSPC), has viewed year 2024 as peaceful in the state, free from all kinds of violence.
This is as the Commission noted that in the year under review there were no single record of conflict between herders/farmers, zero political induced violence haven conducted the Local Government and bye-elections in the state, no record of violent confrontation bordering chieftaincy disputes, or violence over boundary matters.
The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of KSPC, Dr. Sale Momale, made the disclosures during the Internal Reflections Meeting jointly organized by the Commission and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), facilitated by AID Foundation held on Friday in Kaduna.
According to him, throughout year 2024 Kaduna State did not witness a single violence associated with disputes over territorial boundary either between community against community, LGA against LG, or between Kaduna State against another state.
“We salute and appreciate the people of Kaduna State for making this possible, including our various stakeholders that have worked very hard to make this a practical reality,” Momale applauded.
However, he said the major challenge in terms of peace and security is the activities of criminal groups and gangs, and believed this was a national and regional dilemma which the worst affected states in the country are in the Northwest geopolitical zone.
He particularly noted the northwest three states of Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara and Niger state(North-Central) whom are having the highest issues that has to do with criminal activities by bandits and other associated militant groups.
He said despite these issues the Commission is engaging with the State and Federal Governments, and believed the issues needs to be addressed, and hopefully when next the meeting reconvened in 2025 it will be a different story from what is said today. “We want to see Kachia, Kajuru, Kagarko, Chikun and few affected parts of Jaba, Sanga, and Zangon-Kataf local government areas cleared of this menace,” KSPC EVC said.
He urged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Jama’tul Nasir Islam (JNI), various Non-Governmental Organizations present at the meeting and the Network of Peace Journalists (NPJ), to join the Commission in campaigning for an end to banditry in the six LGAs of Kachia, Kajuru, Kagarko, Chikun, parts of Zangon-Kataf, Jema’a, Jaba, Sanga and few parts of Kaura all in Southern Kaduna; whom he said these places needed to be restored to perfect security.
While highlighting key achievements and challenges in the year under review, Dr. Momale said he was pleased with the progress recently recorded in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area where reconciliation and intervention were carried out by bringing together disputing communities previously engaged in inter-communal misunderstanding between the farming and herding communities.
He said what the authorities have succeeded in doing was to bring all the aggrieved groups from the pastoral side and the sidentry farming side together to collectively work together, supporting the government to confront the criminal groups, hoping that this is what’s going to happen in year 2025.
“So, instead of the security forces fighting unknown criminal gangs, now there will be defined targets, and defined enemies”, noting that “some of the occurrences in places like Tudun Biri would not happen again because the communities are united, working in tandem with security agencies, and also work hand-in-hand with the Kaduna State Government to face the criminal groups.
According to Dr. Momale, this initiative would defined the fight in 2025 after isolating the criminal groups in the three critical LGAs of Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa because in some of these areas it’s difficult to separate the innocent community groups from the pure criminal gangs.
He said with this understanding and harmony that has been achieved in Birnin Gwari, the Commission urged all present at the meeting to impressed it upon the State Government and security agencies to collectively work with its partners to achieve the feat recorded in 2024 by making Kaduna state peaceful with zero communal and religious violence, with no land disputes, and chieftaincy tussles.
“Let’s replicate these areas affected by threats of gangsterism, criminal banditry and some Islamic extremist groups in part of Birnin Gwari especially in parts of Niger State that adjoined Kaduna State,” Momale further urged.
In a separate remarks, the Secretary of the State chapter of the CAN, Reverend Caleb Ma’aji; and Secretary of the JNI, Malam Ibrahim Kufena, respectively commended the EVC of KSPC and his team at ensuring the state experience a peaceful 2024.
They prayed for a better 2025 characterized with sustain peace to deepen harmonious relations among communities in the state, and assuring to continue to partner any organizations that would want to work with them for a peaceful coexistence Kaduna in the coming year.
Similarly, the Director General of the Kaduna State Bureau for Interfaith, Barrister Tahir Umar Tahir, appreciated the KSPC for the wonderful job done in the outgoing year.
He said the Bureau has been working together with the KSPC, being a sister agency and, an expert in the field and have learnt a lot from it’s activities.
He said the Bureau has collaborated very well with the Commission to ensure that peace and stability in the state continue to strive. He assured the security agencies and stakeholders that the Bureau will continue to work with all religious leaders, organizations including the KSPC to ensure a better 2025.
The DG expressed deep appreciation to security agencies particularly in the area of collaboration, noting that, now the Mosques and Churches podiums have turned to something else, affirming that it has not been easy, but the bureau will continue to do it’s best.
Also, the Team Leader of the NPJ, Mr. Ibrahima Yakubu, emphasized that most journalists in the region are dedicated towards creating stories that promote peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance, noting that the coalition of 50 peace-focused media organizations have played a vital role in fostering unity and understanding in the state.
He expressed gratitude to the KSPC for recognizing the efforts of the Network and other civil society organizations working tirelessly with the shared goal of making Kaduna the leading state in peacebuilding.
