Islamic clerics have asked Governor Nasir El-Rufai to ensure the arrest and prosecution of persons involved in the killings in Southern Kaduna.
The National Council of Ulamas said the prosecution of the perpetrators will serve as deterrent to others.
The Council made the call at the end of an emergency meeting it held on Wednesday in Kaduna.
Scores of people have been killed in Southern Kaduna in violence between host communities and migrating Fulani herdsmen. The latest such attack occurred on Christmas Day in Goska area of Jema’a local government when suspected herdsmen killed six people and burnt several houses. The Christmas Day violence occurred in spite of a 24-hour curfew put on the area by the Kaduna State government.
The National Chairman of the Ulamas, Abubakar Tureta, appealed to federal and state governments to find a lasting solution to the crisis in the area.
He warned that the crisis will never stop until those behind it are brought to book.
“In the past ex-military officers were behind the crisis in the region and failure of the then military government to arrest and punish them led to further escalation of the problem.
“There would never be peace without punishing those causing and sponsoring crisis in this country.
“Those killing people must be fished out and punished including those behind the killing of travellers along highways in the area. Arresting such people would stop others from committing same crime in other parts of the state,” he said.
Mr Tureta also urged state government to take necessary steps to end the crisis before it is too late.
He commended the federal government and military authorities for capturing Sambisa forest from Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State.
He said the council would continue to play its role of training youth in different entrepreneurship skills to ensure peace, unity and economic development of the country.
Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility
Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.
For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.
By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.
TEXT AD: Why women cheat: what every Nigerian man should know
