Southern Kaduna killings: Stop accusing Fulani herdsmen and Muslims, it is dangerous - Balarabe Musa
- Former governor of Kaduna state has warned politicians and elites advising southern Kaduna people to defend themselves to desist from issuing such advice
- According to the ex-governor, advice like that will only aggravate the ongoing crisis in southern Kaduna
- He also advised people to stop accusing the Hausa/Fulani of being behind the crisis in the state as such accusation could be perilous and incite more attacks
Former governor of Kaduna state, Balarabe Musa, has accused politicians and the elite of exploiting the southern Kaduna killings to make money and advance their political interests, while the victims wallow in trauma.
Musa, who stated this while speaking with journalists at his residence on Thursday, January 19, warned against inciting the people of Southern Kaduna against each other.
Politicians are making money from southern Kaduna killings - Balarabe Musa
According to a report by Premium Times, Musa warned that the call by politicians for the people of the state to defend against their attackers will only aggravate the crisis in the state.
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Musa said: “The Southern Kaduna people must resist incitements from some people in the Southern part of Nigeria who are misadvising them to carry arms against each other.
“Accusing the Hausa/Fulani of being behind the attacks in the area is very dangerous. When you are accusing Hausa/Fulani and their religion, it will end up being destructive. Let’s come together as one and deal with those criminals."
Musa called on the entire people of Kaduna state, irrespective of their religion and ethnicity, to get together as brothers and sisters to end the killings, which he said started since 1986.
He called on Governor Nasir El-Rufai to revive companies in southern part of the state which according to him, "will address the high poverty and backwardness of the zone."
He said: “The Southern Kaduna elites collaborated with their Northern Kaduna elites to destroy the industries built in the zone like Kachia Ginger factories.
“Southern Kaduna elites are the problem of the area. They prefer money and appointments rather than to govern the state.”
He said he did not share the view that President Muhammadu Buhari and Mr. El-Rufai were behind the killings, stressing that he was also a victim of cattle rustlers in the northern part of the state.
“Those elites calling for self defence in Southern Kaduna are making the situation worse and self-destructive.”
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Meanwhile, suspected armed herdsmen opened fire in Samaru Kataf, a busy market in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna, on the evening of Tuesday, January 17, killing three and injuring five.
Following the shooting, Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state has ordered a 24-hour curfew.
News reports reveal that as traders were about going home from the busy Samaru market, about 180 kilometres South of Kaduna city, three men got down from a motor bike, walked to a corner of the market popular with youths and opened fire at them.