Abuja — The Kaduna State Caucus in the House of Representatives has decried the persistent and gruesome killings of natives, residents and citizens of Southern Kaduna, saying the inability of any government to secure the lives and property of its citizens implies failure of government.
Addressing journalists yesterday on behalf of the caucus, the lawmaker representing Kaura federal constituency, Hon. Gideon Gwani, said the caucus was compelled to address journalists following the inhuman killings and kidnappings of the people of the region.
Gwani said it was no longer news that the people of Southern Kaduna have become preys in their fatherland and have consistently been invaded, slaughtered in cold blood, raped, killed and their property destroyed and pillaged in public glare, with little success in investigating and apprehending the perpetrators of the attacks.
He stated: “As representatives of the people, we have identified herdsmen and farmer clashes; forceful land grabbing by non-natives of Southern Kaduna, reprisals, banditry and other criminalities as some of the major causes of the killings and hostilities in Southern Kaduna.
“These problems can only be solved if the rule of law is allowed to take its full course. Rule of Law entails adherence to the principles of supremacy of the law over all citizens and subjects in Nigeria, and equality of all citizens and subjects before the law.”
The caucus stressed that the 1999 Constitution as amended is premised on the principles of Freedom, Equality and Justice, while Section 14(2)(b) provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of the government, also, Section 17(2)(b) provides that in furtherance of the social order, the sanctity and dignity of the human person shall be protected and preserved by the government.
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It added that Section 17(3)(c) guarantees the health, safety and welfare of all persons.
According to the caucus, “Thus, the primary objective of any government in Nigeria is to preserve the life and property of its citizenry, no matter their ethnic, religious or ideological differences. The inability of any government to secure the lives and property of its citizens or ensure their welfare implies failure of government.”
The lawmaker pointed out that under the laws of Nigeria and indeed of all civilized nations, extra-judicial killings on any ground whatsoever is not just abominable, evil, unconstitutional, it is inhuman and a heinous crime.
It stressed that the killings of the people of Southern Kaduna or anybody in Nigeria is highly condemnable and must be brought to an end.
The caucus therefore condemned the armed attacks and killings of the people of Southern Kaduna by the armed militia groups or the justification of any attacks on the people or any reprisal.
It, therefore, called on the federal government as well as the state government to make efforts in the past to stem “this ugly tide and equally called for the arrest, investigation, prosecution and conviction where necessary of these attackers so that they can desist from unleashing mayhem on the people of Southern Kaduna.”
Source: allafrica.com
