Southern Kaduna crisis: Some traditional rulers are the problem – El-Rufai

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has said that Nigerians have resolved to attack him despite his efforts to stop the ongoing Southern Kaduna killings.

El-Rufai, while speaking when he appeared on Channel’s “Sunrise Daily” on Thursday, also claimed that some traditional rulers in the State were sabotaging government’s effort.

The governor, however blamed the media for allegedly twisting his effort towards ending the crisis through compensation of Fulani herdsmen.
He noted that killings had started since the time of governor Yakowa, claiming his government was the one making effort to find a lasting solution to it.
He said, “Southern Kaduna communities were attacked under Yakowa and my predecessor but I am the one trying to solve it.
“I am being accused for paying to kill. I am the one doing everything to stop the killings and I am the one being attacked.

“What I did was compensate to stop the killings and one newspaper decided to twist it.
“Someone paid youths, and asked them to kill.”
He also claimed that those benefiting from the killings in the area have continued to sabotage government’s effort.
He added, “In March 2016, the Kafanchan Peace Declaration was signed and in May, another crisis broke.

“The conflict entrepreneurs who have been benefiting from conflicts decided they had to derail the peace process.”
The governor also noted that no one has been tried since the crisis started.
He said, “Since the crisis started, no one ever got prosecuted.
“We are focusing on 3 major steps to end the crisis. The first is ensuring adequate security in Southern Kaduna.
“The second step is prosecuting those responsible for the crisis and the third is the Peace Building Process.
“We are working closely with the traditional rulers, but some of them are the problem.”