The Monarch of the predominantly Christian Adara region of Kaduna State, Central Nigeria, Agom Adara, Maiwada Galadima, who was kidnapped by suspected Islamic militia, on 19 October, has been killed and his body dumped at Katari village, along Kaduna-Abuja road, despite the payment of a N10 million (about £22,000).
The details about the payment of the ransom and what happened either before or after the payments are not yet clear. Reports simply state that the recovered body has been deposited St. Gerald Catholic Hospital in Kaduna.
The ruler was kidnapped, with his wife, victoria, while driving back from a meeting with Governor El Rufai after a crisis in Kasuwan Magani village that killed over 80 people. His convoy was attacked and four security personnel killed during the incident. His wife and driver were released two days later with a the ransom demand.
Expressing the State government’s shock at the killing of the monarch, Samuel Aruwan, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Media said “We are pained and heartbroken that criminal elements have taken away from us a man who did his best for peace and harmony in our state.” The statement by Aruwan, expectedly claimed that “security agencies will pursue justice for this revered man.’’
However, fearing further eruption of crisis as a result of the killing, the Kaduna state government, Friday 26th October, reinstated a 24-hour curfew on Kaduna metropolis and environs. Aruwan stated that this was again necessary “to help maintain peace as we mourn the death of HRH Agom Adara, who we lost in the early hours of today to the criminals who abducted him.”
The government insists that the attacks on Christians by Muslim youths since last week “is a struggle between good, decent, law-abiding people trying to uphold the peace and criminals who want to divide and destroy. It is not a struggle between religious or ethnic groups.”
A video which has gone viral showed muslim youths killing a suspected Christian on a street in Kaduna, after the mob of Muslim youth club the ‘Christian’ to death, one of them went to be sure the man was dead called out “he is even a Muslim!”
The continuous denial of the crisis in kaduna as a fight between christians and muslims and blaming the killings on ‘criminals’ has continuous absolved the religious leaders who instigate and preach the hatred. The government and agencies therefore spend resources in addressing the symptoms without bringing any healing to communities and achieving genuine peace.
Date published: 5/11/2018
Written by: Hassan John
Article source: www.globalchristiannews.org
