By Seun Adams
The Adara Development Association (ADA) on Thursday sent Save Our Soul (SOS) to both the Federal and Kaduna State Governments
to arrest the perpetrators of the continuous killings in the area.
They also decried the cycle of killings that is be-devilling Kajuru and other parts of Southern Kaduna.
In a statement signed by Mr. James Auta, National Vice President, and Mr. Luka Waziri, Assistant Secretary of the association, which was made available to the media noted that a new wave of killings broke out and has refused to abate since the State government’s pronouncement of “66 (and then later increased to 130) killings.
The statement read: “Since then there have been numerous arrests, and where preliminary investigation do not even remotely link suspects to the incident, they are still detained.
“Victims and activists who have lend their voices in condemning the arbitrary handling of the arrests are either threatened with arrests or prosecution, adding that 23 Adara children most of whom are below 18 years have been in prison custody since September 2018 without trial when prisons should not even accept underage children. This is in addition to our nine chiefs and elders that have been locked up without any justifiable reason.
“Officials of Adara Development Association who are not in prison are now being hunted. These include Luka Waziri Esq, Sebastine Barde, James Auta, Bitrus Maiwando and Augustine Jankaro who are being sought to be arrested merely by reason of their identity and affiliation.”
According to the statement, there is credible information that government intends to trump up charges against a former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, merely for speaking against the government’s handling of the security situation in Kajuru. The procuring of abduction and disappearance of the named persons and others sought to be persecuted by the government under legal artifices have no basis in justice or due process.
“We therefore strongly demand that the Kaduna state government desists from using State apparatus as a means of settling whatever perceived scores it may have.” The statement added.