Some indigenous Southern Kaduna peace advocacy groups have called out the president of Atyap Community Development Association, Dr Samuel Ache, for allegedly spreading falsehood thus misleading the public on the recent attack in Takanai Village of Zangon Kataf Local Government Area by some criminal elements.
The peace-building organizations which confirmed that six persons were gruesomely killed in the attack, condemned the action of the perpetrators, describing it as senseless, barbaric, and inhuman.
The groups operating under the aegis of the Southern Kaduna Peace Practitioners Network (SOKIPEP) and Conference of Southern Kaduna Peace Ambassadors (CSKPA), respectively, commended security agencies for prompt response to the area following the dastardly act, thus averting deterioration.
While they insisted that security agencies, especially Operation Safe Haven’s immediate response to the area prevented what could have resulted in an unimaginable number of casualties and reprisals, the group tackled Dr. Ache for peddling falsehood thereby misleading the public to cause public hatred against security agencies.
In a joint statement on Thursday, signed by Rev. Dauda Fadia, National Coordinator of SOKIPEP, and Dr. Mathew Kure, National Coordinator of CSKPA, the groups while hailing security agencies for leaving up to expectations of the people of Southern Kaduna, particularly passed a vote of confidence on Operation Safe Haven.
The statement read: “We, the undersigned peace practitioners in Southern Kaduna, wish to condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless killing of six innocent people in Takanai Village of Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
“Also, our attention has been drawn to an unfortunate and misleading press interview credited to the president of Atyap Community Development Association, Dr Samuel Ache yesterday 27/09/2023, on Channel Television news over the attack by suspected herdsmen on Takanai 1 and Takanai 2 of Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State, which led to the unfortunate death of six persons in cold blood.
“In the interview, our respected president ought to have known better or made proper consultation with key stakeholders in the community before responding to a press interview. Instead, he went to the press to dance naked in the marketplace by portraying a picture of officers and men of Operation Safe Haven, the military outfit saddled with security in the area, of negligence and misconduct, when in the actual sense the troops were the second savior of our people after God.
“Our investigation revealed that the troops did not only respond to the distress calls within 20 minutes, they also dominated the entire villages, repelled the attacks, and arrested two of the attackers with weapons and life ammunition from the scene.
“The unfortunate casualties recorded were a result of the gorilla nature of the attacks which is difficult to predict.
“If not for the prompt actions of the troops of Operation Safe Haven, Takanai 1 and Takanai 2 would have been burnt down completely due to the sophisticated and well-coordinated nature of the attack.
“How then can our community president make such terrible and misleading remarks about the troops who saved our people from massive casualties? ”
According to the peace advocacy groups, “it is demoralizing and a sign of ingratitude for the community leader to have made the unfortunate remarks about the security outfit.”
“If not for the prompt actions of the troops, we would have recorded many casualties and properties to the attack.
“We are saddened by the statement coming from the president of Atyap Community Development Association hence the need to correct the misleading information in the public domain so that gullible members of the public won’t fall prey to it,” the statement said.
The groups insisted their assessment as indigenous peace-building organizations proved that security agencies, especially Operation Safe Haven, have performed their duties to the satisfaction of the Southern Kaduna people.
“It is therefore our settled opinion as peace workers on the ground in Southern Kaduna, based on empirical evidence that the troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), have performed professionally and gallantly in Southern Kaduna. We, therefore, pass a vote of confidence on the military outfit”, they reiterated in the statement.
