The Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Musa Yusuf Garba, on Tuesday, met with pastors and other church officials over the spate of insecurity occasioned by kidnapping, banditry and other related crimes in the state
Specifically, the Commissioner condemned in strong term the recent bandits attack on St. Rachael Parish, located at Zango-Kataf LGA.
In that attack which took place penultimate Friday night, the bandits razed the parish house together with a Seminarian, Na’aman Danladi, who died in the inferno.
Following the dastardly act, the police commissioner met with pastors and church officials drawn from the 23 LGAs of the state under the auspices of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the state where he commiserated with them.
The commissioner told the clerics who gathered at the Albraka Baptist Church, Barnawa in the state capital, that his intention on assumption of office, was to ensure that residents of the state who had over the years been troubled by the activities of bandits to sleep with their two eyes closed.
Garba condemned the attack of the St. Rachael Parish, Fadan Kamatan, urging the Christian clerics to “watch and pray” for the sustainability of lasting peace in the state.
He, however, informed the gathering that bandits attacks were not peculiar to the Christian faith alone as other faith had over the years, fell victims to similar attacks by the hoodlums.
In his response to the chairman of the CAN in the state, Rev. John Hayab, the Commissioner said, “I want to express my deepest condolences to the family of the Catholic Seminarian that was killed by bandits at Kamantan last week in Zango Kataf local government area. That incident has really touched my heart. You can see the kind of callous people we have. People that can kill at random.
“It is unfortunate that the CAN chairman mentioned about 23 Clergies that were killed by bandits in Kaduna State at various times. It is unfortunate.
“However, this thing has been happening not only to the Christian Clergies, but it happened to almost everybody because crimes have no tribe, no religion. Criminals have no compassion, criminals are evils.
“If they want to do what they want to do they don’t look at who you are. Just a week before the Kamantan incident, bandits went to a village in Ikara local government area and killed the Imam and his deputy in a Mosque while they were praying.
“You know this time around insecurity is all over the country and all over the world. That is why in the book of Mathew 26: 41 says watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptations, the spirit is willing, but flesh is weakened. So this time around, what is left for us is to pray.
“We the security agencies we are trying our best to fight crimes. That is why I said we are doing something different. I sat down in my office and looked at the situation in the State.
“The very day I resumed office, members of the press approached me, asking me what I intend to do immediately. I said my intention is to ensure that Kaduna residents sleep with their two eyes closed.
“What I did was to call all the Dividionsl Police Officers for a meeting and I told them that whether they heard me when I told Kaduna people that I want them to sleep with their two eyes closed. They said yes. And I told them that they are the ones who are going to execute it.”
The Commissioner further said that the command was committed to ridding off crimes in the state and charged the clergies to always volunteer useful information to assist command so as to protect lives and property in the state.
“Don’t be afraid to give Police or to me directly information that will help us arrest criminals. But make sure that you give correct information because if you give me false information its an offence. I will hold you for that.
“Don’t give me information that is against your enemy because you have issues with your enemy you now tell me lies. Every information must be verified and correct. I want to assure you that Police in Kaduna are committed to protect lives and property which is one of our primary aims and objectives.
“We are committed to that irrespective of tribe and religion. The Police are non partisans. I cannot imagine as a leader to be partisan and say this is my own and this one is not my own,” he added.
Earlier in his address, the Kaduna CAN Chairman, Rev. John Hayab, told the commissioner that it had lost over 23 pastors over the years to bandits, noting that the recent was Rev. Jeremiah Wayo, who was killed by the hoodlums in his farm at Kujama, Chikun LGA of the state.
Hayab added that aside from the killing of 23 pastors, over 200 churches across the state had been shutdown by bandits.
“The Baptist church probably have over 100 of their churches shutdown. From Birnin Gwari to Chikun and Kajuru, the churches are no longer there,” he said.
