The Adara people in Kajuru local government area of Kaduna State have pointed out that reversing the scraping of the Adara Chiefdom is the panacea to genuine peace in the area.
The people said that they are ready to partner with the local, state and security authorities in addressing the lingering security challenges on agreeable terms.
Addressing newsmen in Kaduna, the National President of Adara Development Association, ADA, Awemi Dio Maisamari said, “The easiest thing the authorities can do to partly reclaim their credibility and douse the ever rising tension in Adara land is to reverse the scrapping of Adara Chiefdom.
“If government refuses to take these easy first steps towards addressing the fundamental concerns of Adara nation, it will be logical to conclude that it does not yet want genuine peace in Adara land. That will make the security presence in our community to be mere window dressing and the move to reopen or reconstruct the Kasuwan Magani market an act of provocation. We pray that higher wisdom will guide any attempts to address the legitimate fears and concerns of our people.”
He lamented the continuous increase in the insecurity being suffered by Adara villages especially in Kajuru local government area, said to have witnessed some strange armed Fulani people, adding that when they were questioned, they assured the locals that they did not mean any harm to them.
Maisamari explained that terrorists eventually struck at Maikori area of Ungwan Gamo village on Thursday, 1st August, 2019, adding that one person was killed and two others were seriously wounded during the attack.
He explained, “The attack, coming after several weeks break in the hostilities clearly shows that the attackers have all along being looking for opportunities to strike again.
“This has once again heightened the fear, tension and suspicion in the community thereby disrupting farming and other economic activities that have been recovering very slowly. In addition to the above attack, cases of kidnapping for ransom have also made a comeback. Some of the recent incidences all within one month.”
The National President said there was kidnap operation along Kaduna-Kachia highway near Idon on 10th July, 2019 in which some travellers were killed and several others abducted, adding that two young girls aged about 15 years each at Dutsen Gaiya were kidnapped on 15th July, 2019 with heavy ransom paid before they were released.
“The kidnapping of the daughter of a Baptist Reverend aged about 13years on 26th July, 2019 at Dutsen Gaiya. Presently, the Pastor’s daughter is still in the kidnappers den because of inability to pay the ransom,” he noted.
Maisamari maintained that it is so unreasonable that in the midst of all these, the only preoccupation of local and state authorities in Kajuru local government was the reopening and even reconstruction of the volatile Kasuwan Magani market.
“The same authorities are not even interested in finding out why those who intentionally looted and burnt down the market (in addition to several other unspeakable crimes) are the very same people who are now clamoring for its reopening and reconstruction.
“Neither have they done anything what so ever (even interim measures), to ensure there is no repeat of the barbarity and destruction which some people are using to terrorize Adara community.
“It is a shame that such medieval tactics are still being used by some sacred cows as the evidence of their depraved “superiority” and ironically condoned by so called civil authorities in the 21st century who cannot bear mere criticism. These so called authorities must take note that Adara people cannot be deceived by Greek gifts meant to divert the attention of the community from its main problems as already identified and prioritized by Adara nation,” Maisamari lamented.
