Kaduna Killings: Envoy Says, ‘I’m Bleeding Over Ceaseless Violence’

Nigeria’s ambassador to the Republic of Congo, Mrs. Deborah Iliya, says she is ceaselessly bleeding over the unending bloodletting in Kaduna state and appealed to all warring sides to embrace peace.

In a statement on Monday mailed to our correspondent from Brazzaville, the envoy, who hails from Kaduna state, said she is saddened over the abduction and killing of the paramount traditional ruler of Adara Chiefdom, Dr. Maiwada Galadima.

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“We have had more than enough destruction on lives, properties and hate amongst each other in different dimensions – ethnical, religious and political. The abduction of the paramount traditional ruler of Adara Chiefdom, Dr. Maiwada Galadima has no religious or ideological justification,” she said.

According to her, “the hasty and frequent recourse to bloodshed over disputes that could have been appeased peacefully without the loss of lives and property has become a common trend and is disheartening at the very least – my heart bleeds.

“In this day and age and at the level of dialogue that is possible between the differing communities – killings and attacks on innocent people, destruction of homes, markets and places of worship is totally unacceptable. Enough of this madness.”

She added that as “a woman, who believes that life is always sacrosanct and who seeks peace at all times, I plead to those on social media platforms to stop the hate and fake speech communications that misguide, promote violence, put suspicion and fear among the people of Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State and the country in general.

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“It is our collective responsibility to synergise with good leaders in the effort to fixing our dream Nigeria. As a representative of the people, I call upon our youths to shun violence.

“Do not offer to waste your lives to violence -rather, activate your entrepreneurial spirit, actively participate in the political process of Kaduna State and Nigeria – using democratic and nonviolent means and your future is assured. Know however, that no amount of money on earth is worth your life – so do not waste it to violence.”

She noted that reconciliation is essentially about the future: moving from a divided past towards a shared future for all citizens in Kaduna State irrespective of their religious, gender, tribal and cultural affiliations. And so it means at its core, building relations for the future. It appears obvious that Kaduna State is at a crossroad facing two possible futures: indefinite violent conflict, or gradual progress towards sustainable peace.

“As such, a radical new approach is needed in Kaduna State to build peace step-by-step. We cannot wait for the next generation to make this change; this present generation must attempt a renewal of basic human values. If there is any hope, it is in the future generations, but not unless we institute major change on a state-wide scale in our present educational system.

“Whilst we acknowledge that we cannot create peace on paper, there’s a need to move beyond peace rhetoric, through a progressive, step-by-step process towards a political settlement which builds stability, confidence and legitimacy over time. The short-term objective should be a reduction in violence while the long-term objective should be to achieve a more inclusive peace process that is representative of, and endorsed by, Kaduna State and the country in general.

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“So let us turn, each of us to the wisdom in our religions & traditions and in our communities, bringing together everything we know and everything our religious leaders and fore-parents have ever known about mediation, problem solving and peace-making. It is in this sense that I believe all religions have essentially the same teaching that is of peace. Within this context, there are ways to live and respond, in which no one is the loser.”

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