Kaduna killings: FG will prosecute culprits - Osinbajo

By Our Reporter

August 27, 2020 - Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that those responsible for killings in Southern Kaduna will be prosecuted in order to curtail impunity and support those who have lost their bread winners.

Osinbajo said this on Thursday during a Special Conversation featuring him and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, at the ongoing Nigeria Bar Association(NBA) Virtual 2020 Annual General Conference.

The vice president said that to effectively deal with the Southern Kaduna crisis, the Federal Government would not sweep the major issues underlying the conflict under the carpet.

According to Osinbajo, ensuring justice, fixing economic marginalisation and the prosecution of persons responsible for the murders will ensure that the impunity doesn’t worsen.

“I have been involved since 2001 through the work of the Macedonian initiative, an NGO that focused on providing relief materials to displaced persons in Southern Kaduna and several other places especially in North Central part of Nigeria.

“There have been judicial commissions and all sorts, but the problem remains; so, there is the need to address the underlying issues. You can’t sweep under the carpet, justice and the cries of economic marginalisation.

“The fact is that we must prosecute persons responsible for these murders or otherwise impunity will worsen. And also support those who have lost their bread winners.

“The mindless callous killings in Southern Kaduna are heartbreaking; and again, we must condole with those who have lost loved ones and those injured or who have suffered loss of property; these tragedies are unacceptable and they are avoidable.”

Osinbajo said that there was an improvement of security in Southern Kaduna as a military base was set up there for the first time.

He said there was also a lot of air surveillance by the Nigerian Air Force.

“We have about 500 conventional and mobile policemen in Zangon Kataf and Kaura Local Government Areas and then the combined military team of the army and the navy who are also on ground 24 hours.

“This is basically to just take care of the volatile situation there.”

Osinbajo said that President Muhammadu Buhari had also had several Security Council meetings all of which he attended; where the issues were discussed and the possibilities of engagement had been discussed.

Speaking on the Federal Government’s stance on the contraction of the economy as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and related issues, Osinbajo said the Federal Government’s response was robust and focused on local production using home-grown resources.

He said that efforts were being made towards wealth and job creation using local resources.

The vice president said under the agriculture component of the National Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP-AGRO), five million farmers whose produce would be off-taken by government had been registered.

On his part, Gbajabiamila, spoke on the collaboration between the executive and the legislature under the present administration in addressing some of the critical issues facing the country.