Following the recent upsurge of violence in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the Adara Development Association (ADA) has accused the state government of being behind the killing of their people.

The Association disclosed that the recent round of killings started when the state government on the eve of the last presidential election announced that 66 Fulanis including women and children were killed in the area.

The statement jointly signed by Mr. James Auta, National Vice President, and Luka Waziri Esq., Asst. Secretary of ADA, also accused the state government of bias in the arrest and detention of their youths and leaders since the crisis started.

The statement entitled “ADA Condemns the incessant violence in Southern Kaduna, urges governments to arrest perpetrators not victims or activists” also disclosed that the state government is plotting to frame up a former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, for speaking against the security situation in the area.

Part of the statement said: “The Adara Development Association have decried the cycle of killings that is bedevilling Kajuru and other parts of Southern Kaduna.

“The Association 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”. 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 lent their voices in condemning the arbitrary handling of the arrests are either threatened with arrests or prosecution. Twenty three (23) Adara children most of whom are below 18years 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.”

ADA also said: “There is credible information that the Kaduna State Governor 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.” (New Telegraph)