Conflict, Peace and Strategic Centre by John Ewawoche Gabriel

   As part of our discussion on Southern Kaduna crisis, it's equally important for us to itemised some crisis that erupted in the Southern part of the state over the years.
Findings revealed that contrary to opinion s in some quarters that the crisis was fueled by Governor Nasir El-Rufai administration, the crisis was rooted years ago even before Mallam was appointed FCT minister.
in this piece also, we shall also profer proffer lasting solution to this recurrent çrisis.
CRISIS IN SOUTHERN KADUNA
1 Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru LGA, 1980, when Hausa traders tried to take over Adara land, claiming that the landbelonged to them.
2. Yarkasuwa, then in Lere District in 1986, during the contest for the district headship of
Lere, when the Kurama
were blamed for the crisis caused by the power mongers there, who were opposed to the candidature of prominent Bakurmi Muslim, who “dared’ to contest for the District Head’s office reserved for the Hausa Fulani of Lere town.
3. Kafanchan in 1987, when the Muslim Students Society attacked students of the College of Education. This spread
to Zaria, Kaduna, Katsina, etc, where churches were burnt, people killed, property destroyed.
4. ABU, Zaria in 1988, when Muslim students attacked Christians over victory of Christian student in the students’ union elections. About 107 students were injured, some seriously, whereupon some persons from Zaria City waylaid students travelling home after the university had been closed and killed some of them at Gwargwaji.
5. Zangon Kataf in 1992, when People attending market were attacked by Zangon Kataf residents in August 1992, described as subsequent riots to the market, when residents of Zangon Kataf and Katafs clashed over control of the market.
7. 1999, ethno religious attacks against Southern Kaduna and other Christians in Kaduna North LGA, and reverberations in Kafanchan and environs.
8. 2000, Sharia riots, when the KDHA arbitrarily proceeded to debate
imposition of Sharia in Kaduna State. The riots were in Kaduna, Zaria, Kano, Katsina etc, where Southern Kaduna people were killed, beaten, matcheted, etc.
9. 2000, at the Federal College of Education, Zaria, when Christian students were attacked and killed and injured, and the Catholic Church burnt by Muslim students in the College.
10. 2001, ethnic cleansing to move non-Muslims from Kaduna North LGA, after the failure of attempts to impose sharia on Kaduna State.
11. 2002, Birnin Gwari, when a woman was killed, and they alleged that the killer was wearing a fez cap; one Kataf man who had been away at Zaria when the incident occurred, returned to Birnin Gwar and was killed, several other “Katafs” i.e Southern Kaduna people were killed, their
houses and property burnt.opposed to the relocation of the market from the street to a new site across the road.
12. 2002, FCE Zaria, when violent Muslim youth from Tudun Wada, attacked the girls hostel at night, killed, maimed, injured, raped and traumatized the female
students.
13. 2002, when violent Muslim protesters attacked Christians under the cover of opposition to Miss World Pageant.
14.2006, massacre of students at the FCE, Zaria by Muslims from Tudun Wada and Zaria City.
15.2010, Rahama area in Chawai Chiefdom, when Fulanis attacked the area, and killed some people, and only stopped the assault after the local people organised and fought them off.
16. 2011 post election attacks on Southern Kaduna and other Christians in Zaria, Kaduna, Zonkwa and Kafanchan,
following incendiary comments and incitement by political party leaders during the 2011 presidential election. This risis was planned and unleashed as a political uprising in ten northern States, but when they started in Zaria and Kaduna, churches and houses were burnt, the Kafanchan market was burnt, pastors and other innocent persons were
killed, injured and rendered homeless, generating a reaction for self defence, for which the Southern Kaduna people
have been castigated, vilified, attacked, grievously injured and killed in a systematic campaign of guerilla night attacks by Fulanis and their allies.
17. April 20, 2011, at Anchuna, Ikulu Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf LGA, when Fulani set ablaze the garden surrounding
the Reverend Father’s Compound, when they were sighted and chased away, and the fire brought under control
18 August, 2011, Fulani attacked Gwong communities of Angwan Yaro and Yuli in Kussom District of Gwong Chiefdom, Jema’a LGA, for two days, and the villagers mounted a defence, captured some of the attackers with their guns and ammunition, handed them over to the
military, who handed them to the police, who promptly released them.
19. August, 2011, at Angwan Rana, Bitaro District, Jaba LGA, when Fulanis operating from Kagarko LGA attacked
the community, killed several and seriously injured many others. To date, no arrests have been made, even when their
route could and was clearly traced.
20. August 21, 2011, when Fulani attacked Fadia Bakut,near Zonkwa, killed several people, and severely wounded
others.
21.November 4, 2011, at Tabak, Bajju Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf LGA, when women observing a night vigil at the local
church, were attacked, three were instantly killed, many badly wounded.
22. September 2, 2011, during the Sallah celebration at Kafanchan, when a Sallah procession was allowed to take place under heavy police and military guard, and the celebrants-in-procession carried and waved different weapons, including machetes, knives, swords, cutlasses
and other dangerous instruments of war. Under police and military protection, the participants in the procession hurled
insults at the indigenous people; “Masu kasa sun iso; Arna sais u bad a wuri”, which roughly translates: the Owners of
the land have arrived; the pagans have to give way.They drove their motor cycles wildly, knocked down and killed two Arna women. The youths reacted, mounted
barricades to potect their communities. Late in the evening of that day, after they completed their guard duty over the
procession, the army JTF launched attacks on houses at Adauwan, Federation, and the houses near the new market, breaking down doors, dragging out youths, hammered them with gun butts, beat and brutalized them. When the mothers of the youths dressed in black to go protest to the Local
Government Chairman, some of our pastors, very verenable “Men of God”, those mild speaking and amenable “Men of Peace” intervened, they upstaged the peaceful demonstration; the Men of the Cloth and Collar sabotaged
the women, claiming that “CAN” would organize a “better” protest, which never came.
23. November 5 and 6, continued attacks on Fadia, Fadan Kaje, Kurmin Bi, in Bajju Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf LGA.. November 8, when in Angwar Masara in Kafanchan, the village head, Malam Bulus Adamu with his wife, Ladi Adamu, in spite of curfew, was killed by unknown gunmen.
25. November 9, 2011, at Kafanchan, reactions over continued attacks on villages in Kafanchan in Jema’a and in
Zangon Kataf LGA.
26. December 11, 2011, at Kukum Dutse, Kagoro Chiefdom, Kaura LGA, when Fulani attacked the village, killed the wife
of the Ward head, and almost killed the Ward Head and a neighbour.
27. December, 2011, various dates, when guinea corn farms of four farmers in Dutsen Bako District, and others in
Anchuna District, Ikulu Chiefdom, were completely burnt, leading to serious losses of food and investment in these
areas.
28. December 20, 2011 at Fadan Daji, Kagoro Chiefdom, when five people were killed, and sixth person died in the
hospital from gunshot wounds, when Fulani attacked the Village.Then there were the riots and crises by Boko Haram and other causes, for this year.
A countless number of crises have taken place in the Southern part of the state which we assumed was not caused by any government in power at that time.