Southern Kaduna crisis can engulf Nigeria— Makarfi

KADUNA—The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Caretaker Committee Chairman and former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, yesterday, expressed fears that if the violence in Southern Kaduna between herdsmen and natives of the area was not curbed, it may spread over the entire country. Also, yesterday, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, urged the Federal Government to stop the killings in Southern Kaduna, just as former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, called on the Federal Government to constitute a commission of enquiry into cases of farmers/herdsmen clashes. Makarfi said: “The upheaval that erupted in Southern Kaduna, which has resulted in loss of lives and properties is unfortunate. I must caution that both government and people from the area must not politicise this issue. Makarfi “Government, the people of the state and those outside the state must never politicise this, irrespective of religious background. If we attempt to politicise it, then the crisis will spread beyond Kaduna to other parts of the country and that would be a disaster.” NLC President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, described the situation in Southern Kaduna as “unfortunate’’ and “something that is of concern.” Speaking, yesterday, in Abuja, he said: “The Southern Kaduna issue was addressed at a point in time. There was a particular administration that was able to find a solution around this issue and peace actually returned. “Governance is about responsibility; the primary purpose of governance anywhere in the world is security, peace of the people.” Meanwhile, Alhaji Tsav urged the Federal Government to constitute a commission of enquiry into the matter. Tsav, who spoke yesterday in Makurdi, expressed dismay at the level of killings and cattle rustling in some parts of the country and advised that government must do everything within its powers to resolve the problem. He said: “For a very long time, farmers across the country and herdsmen lived happily until politics came into the matter.”