Kaduna State; Created on May 27, 1967, formally regarded as garrison town and also the regional capital of the then British Northern Protectorate of Nigeria.
Kaduna state is home to a diverse cultural heritage, many ethnic groups, tribes and languages. The state is also home to large communities who relocated from other States and even other countries across the globe.
This means that in Kaduna State almost every denomination of a Nigerian has had cause to at the very least pass through; many more have stayed.
In its relatively short history, Kaduna has had several horrific episodes of inter communal violence; the scars of which have been time and again reopened by short sighted political interests under various guises such as religion and ethnicity.
These episodes include: Sharia crises(May, 2000), post-election crises (2011), Zangon Kataf /Southern Kaduna crises(1992, 2009, 2010, 2011) etc. There has also been a number of incidents where outright abuses of power were committed by arms of either the federal or state governments or both: The December 2015 Zaria Massacre is a good example.
I will like to remind us about the unfortunate scenario that happened in 2011; the post-election crises that lead to the death of many Nigerians.
Prior to the election, Sheikh Zakzaky advised the general public not to embark on any violence under the guise of religion or ethnic sentiments for the fact that our oppressors belong to the same religion; the religion of oppression.
Alas, people refused to heed to his advise and as a result of that many lives were lost. The renown Sheikh played a great role in protecting many lives of people from both Muslim and Christian faith.
We have been following recent developments with increasing alarm since last week, due to the provocative sermons that are being preached from certain pulpits across the state in support of the Governor Nasiru Elrufai’s bid for re-election. Certain individuals of these political agitators have gone so far as to openly declare his re-election as a Jihad against Christians and others they call Mushriks (infidels).
The hateful rhetoric used to incite such incidents is hardly distinguishable from the one being used now; and all know what the aftermath of that was for the common people in the past.
You will recall that prior to the presidential election, rumors had been circulated by official channels that there was an imminent Shiite attack during that time. Now we have official representatives of Jama’atu Izala declaring Jihad, explicitly stating that any Muslim who does not vote for Elrufai is an infidel ally of the Christians. All of these indicate what we have been fearing all along. The incumbent Governor Nasiru Elrufai and his team appear to be determined to either win the election or set Kaduna state on fire, by inciting violence.
We believe that the worst thing that can happen is if these mercenaries in the guise of religious leaders can manage to deceive or provoke people into mob action. We wish therefore to use this opportunity to encourage the people of the state to resist all provocations and exercise their civic rights peacefully.
It appears that by hook or crook the governor and his team of thugs want to impose themselves against the wish of the people. We the people of Kaduna state must understand the importance of the unity of our people. We are all either brothers in faith or brothers in humanity. The outbreak of violence in the State has one potential beneficiary alone. That beneficiary happens to be the one whose supporters are hard at work trying to foment it. Nasiru El-Rufai has not only been involved in the killing of Christians but also Muslims as well. His tyrannical policies of demolitions, seizure of property, outright plunder and summary dismissal of civil servants have spared no Muslim or Christian. Yet at this late hour he is promoting himself as some kind of champion of Islam against what his minions are calling Infidels.
Beware of the tyrant!
Signed
S.I Ahmad
8/03/2019
