Southern Kaduna pogrom: El-Rufai blasts lawmakers, says killing not different from other States

Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has fired at Federal lawmakers who earlier complained of pogrom going on at the Southern Kaduna Senatorial district.

Southern Kaduna has been under siege by bandits with scores of deaths, but the Federal lawmakers from the zone, penultimate week hinted that there was plan to attack again during and after Sallah.

Reacting to the development in a live interview with Channels Television which was monitored by CAPITAL POST on Thursday night, the governor, irked by the comment of lawmakers described them as bunch of irresponsible people who lacks leadership acumen.

El-Rufai wondered why people are seeing killings in Southern Kaduna differently, insisting that the development is banditry attack that also happens in Northeast and Northwest.

“Kaduna is not the only State facing security challenges. Northeast have been battling similar situations.

He said there were ethnic, religious and political dimensions driving the crisis which he admitted made it difficult to overcome, because there are emotive issues.

“I think the issue is not just in Kaduna State. We have security challenges all across the Northeast and Northwest, but I think what makes Kaduna’s case unique and headline-grabbing is because of the injection of religious and ethnic connotations to the attacks and the clashes between the various ethnic groups.

“Since Kaduna has a long history of ethno-religious intolerance, he added, every criminal situation in the Northwest is given ethnic and religious connotation.

The governor insisted that religion, ethnicity and politics are identity issues, that were not easily solved noting that it was the situation in Kaduna South.

He accused lawmakers from Kaduna South of not saying the truth, adding that what they would tell him during security meeting is always different when they go outside and always rush to the press without offering intelligence reports to security agencies.

“I think they should provide this kind of useful intelligence to security agencies,” El-Rufai said, noting that it will help the law-enforcers nip such plans in the bud