By John Shiklam in Kaduna
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The Adara Development Association (ADA) an umbrella body for the Adara ethnic Nationality in Kaduna State have raise the alarm over alleged acquisition of dangerous weapons in Kasuwan Magani village, Kajuru local government area, where bloody violence broke out between Muslim and Christian youths on February 26.
Addressing a news conference on Friday in Kaduna, the National Assistant Secretary of the association, Luke Waziri alleged that some people were acquiring arms for a possible attack.
About 15 people were killed while property worth millions of naira was destroyed during February 26 clashes between Christians and Muslims youths in the village, following allegations that Muslim boys were dating Christian girls and converting them for marriage without the consent of their parents.
Waziri called on the state government and relevant authorities to disarm those keeping sophisticated weapons in order to stop them from taking law into their hands.
He noted that the February mayhem would have been averted if those saddled with the responsibility of maintaining law and order had taken proactive measures.
The association also accused the police for selective justice, alleging that those arrested and charged to court in connection with the violence were mainly Adara youths.
According to him, of about 70 people arrested by security agencies and charged to court and remanded in prison custody, only about three are Hausa Muslims.
“The arrests made were completely one sided, it cannot be a mistake that out of about 70 people arrested by security agents only about three are Hausa Muslims.
“The arrests are designed to give false impression that Muslims were the victims”, stressing that nowhere in the world is genuine peace attained through injustice.
Waziri alleged further that there was a grand design to give the Adara people a bad name so as to hang them.Â
“Before the Adara /Fulani sectarian clashes of July 2017, our community was virtually celebrated as one of the most peaceful in Kaduna State.
“That was the only badge of honour given to Adara community for suffering in silence. It now seems that there are attempts to further visit our community for instinctively displaying the rare audacity to react against or resist injustices that we have been bearing for long.
“It also seems that there are plans to intimidate and use our community as a scapegoat for recent events in Southern Kaduna because we are weak and more vulnerable.
“That is why some Adara community leaders were recently arrested humiliated and arraigned in court for imaginary offences.
“There is none against those we are in conflict with. This is virtually a death sentence on our already weak and impoverished community and thumps up for some criminal elements who enjoy the sympathy and protection of the powers that be.
“We want to draw the attention of all authorities concerned about the high concentration of sophisticated weapons in the hands of those who attacked Adara community and are residents of Kasuwan Magani.
“If the authorities concerned ignore this valuable piece of information, then they have licensed some well-armed persons of Kasuwan Magani to carry out a massacre whenever and wherever they please.
“Those who take pleasure in killing/slaughtering people, looting property, burning what cannot be looted and then openly bragging about it should not be left in possession of dangerous weapons waiting for another opportunity to strike.
“Therefore, nobody should blame, talk less of punishing us for our feeble attempts at self-preservation, since even federal might cannot protect us in contemporary Nigeria.
“The Kasuwan Magani conflict was avoidable if the Sole Administrator of Kajuru local government, the Divisional Police Officer of the area and the State government had done their work.
“That was bad enough, and they should not make it worse by embarking on selective punishment as is being currently done,” he said
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