Kaduna Killings: Defend Yourselves, Dokubo Asari Tells Southern Kaduna
I was in primary school when a family friend brought a video cassette of Zango Kataf crisis, somewhere in Kaduna state, to watch in my mother's room. My family, having let him watched with me in place, had to pay the price of sleepless nights for my horrible nightmare. I also missed classes for a week. Sick.
While in Junior secondary school, like everyone, we were running carelessly and confused from school back home, for the first time, I saw and jumped over a dying man in blood, crawling helplessly, butchered by angry youths in what was termed 'ethno-religious crises' in Jos. Minutes after we arrived home, out of fear, I was arrested by fever, diarrhea and expectedly, the horrible nightmare.
Till date, I have no idea what triggered and misguided hearts in Kataf, but I have hundred stories on Jos. I did not know a single person in Kataf neither do I lose a single relative, directly, in the more than decade crisis in Jos. Yet, my health and mental state were hit hard. Others lost their entire family, relatives and belongings. You can imagine how they felt and how they still feel whenever a memory flashed. People who never started the crises or aided in any way fell victims.
Following Kaduna state Governor's effort, Mallam Nasir El-Rufa'i, to cut short the attacks in Southern Kaduna by paying the alleged Fulani herdsmen who were said to have carried different attacks in the area, I have been reading with keen interest almost every piece I come across and have listen to number of TV and radio programmes discussing the matter. I do not know why I have so much interest, but one thing I am sure of is that I am afraid. Because I care.
We may recall that it was few days after some professorial and activists wailing and criticism of the Governor's move, calling on the people of Southern Kaduna to "Defend themselves," a protest was held. A shameful one at this time of ours where I see pictures of women old enough to be my mothers and grandmothers naked. The governor and his entourages were also stoned. Much later, lives and properties were lost.
And just few days back, a picture of a mob with ammunition who is believed to be arrested in Rivers State some time in the past was circulating especially on Facebook informing us that 'it was an Igbo man arrested in Southern Kaduna, disguised as a Fulani herdsman.' One do not need a historian or an intelligent officer to lecture him on what such false information may lead to.
At least, this administration vow to prove that 'peace is non negotiable' under its watch. Many people, in Kaduna and other states seem never to second to any simpleton; clergy or politician, professor or activist, who will drive them to the dark city of had-I-wish, of regret. People of southern Kaduna should be willing to respect the law of the state, continue to be in peace with their neighbors and if not already in place, join hands together with the government (and their neighbors if possible) to establish vigilante groups which will guard their territories 24/7. These and any other better strategy is what they should consider 'self defense.'
No doubt, if the people of Southern Kaduna continue to allow themselves to be fooled by 'noise makers,' other 'noise makers' will take advantage to fool the other side, as they began, and if the Devil blow his atrocious trumpet, only God knows what that may lead to. But one thing is certain; they will pay the unprofitable price of not giving peace a chance in the long run; men will die; women will have miscarriages; children will be orphans; markets will be burnt; the soil will be infertile; the birds will flee, some never to return; history and their grandchildren will never forgive them. Never!
So I ask, why can't we give peace a chance, in our speeches and writings? Why can't we speak instead of striking one another? Why can't we be that normal society, where normal children never make the same mistakes as their parents but strive to be better than them? Why can't we be humans?
May lasting peace be restored in Southern Kaduna. May God guide those 'noise makers' who make noise through the Devil, and our heart never to second to their noises when they blunder.
1st Jan. 2017
While in Junior secondary school, like everyone, we were running carelessly and confused from school back home, for the first time, I saw and jumped over a dying man in blood, crawling helplessly, butchered by angry youths in what was termed 'ethno-religious crises' in Jos. Minutes after we arrived home, out of fear, I was arrested by fever, diarrhea and expectedly, the horrible nightmare.
Till date, I have no idea what triggered and misguided hearts in Kataf, but I have hundred stories on Jos. I did not know a single person in Kataf neither do I lose a single relative, directly, in the more than decade crisis in Jos. Yet, my health and mental state were hit hard. Others lost their entire family, relatives and belongings. You can imagine how they felt and how they still feel whenever a memory flashed. People who never started the crises or aided in any way fell victims.
Following Kaduna state Governor's effort, Mallam Nasir El-Rufa'i, to cut short the attacks in Southern Kaduna by paying the alleged Fulani herdsmen who were said to have carried different attacks in the area, I have been reading with keen interest almost every piece I come across and have listen to number of TV and radio programmes discussing the matter. I do not know why I have so much interest, but one thing I am sure of is that I am afraid. Because I care.
We may recall that it was few days after some professorial and activists wailing and criticism of the Governor's move, calling on the people of Southern Kaduna to "Defend themselves," a protest was held. A shameful one at this time of ours where I see pictures of women old enough to be my mothers and grandmothers naked. The governor and his entourages were also stoned. Much later, lives and properties were lost.
And just few days back, a picture of a mob with ammunition who is believed to be arrested in Rivers State some time in the past was circulating especially on Facebook informing us that 'it was an Igbo man arrested in Southern Kaduna, disguised as a Fulani herdsman.' One do not need a historian or an intelligent officer to lecture him on what such false information may lead to.
At least, this administration vow to prove that 'peace is non negotiable' under its watch. Many people, in Kaduna and other states seem never to second to any simpleton; clergy or politician, professor or activist, who will drive them to the dark city of had-I-wish, of regret. People of southern Kaduna should be willing to respect the law of the state, continue to be in peace with their neighbors and if not already in place, join hands together with the government (and their neighbors if possible) to establish vigilante groups which will guard their territories 24/7. These and any other better strategy is what they should consider 'self defense.'
No doubt, if the people of Southern Kaduna continue to allow themselves to be fooled by 'noise makers,' other 'noise makers' will take advantage to fool the other side, as they began, and if the Devil blow his atrocious trumpet, only God knows what that may lead to. But one thing is certain; they will pay the unprofitable price of not giving peace a chance in the long run; men will die; women will have miscarriages; children will be orphans; markets will be burnt; the soil will be infertile; the birds will flee, some never to return; history and their grandchildren will never forgive them. Never!
So I ask, why can't we give peace a chance, in our speeches and writings? Why can't we speak instead of striking one another? Why can't we be that normal society, where normal children never make the same mistakes as their parents but strive to be better than them? Why can't we be humans?
May lasting peace be restored in Southern Kaduna. May God guide those 'noise makers' who make noise through the Devil, and our heart never to second to their noises when they blunder.
1st Jan. 2017
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