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Kajuru Crisis: Reopening, reconstruction of Kasuwan market insensitive, provocative – Adara people tell El-Rufai


The Chairman of the Adara Development Association (ADA), Awemi Maisamari has called for urgent concerns for Adara community following widespread criminality and
Maisamari in a statement said the suffering of IDPs and other crisis victims, the assassination of HRH Agom Adara, the scrapping of Adara Chiefdom, the partitioning of Adara community in to two, the subordination of the people in Kachia LGA of Kaduna State under a proposed Kachia Chiefdom, the subordination of the predominantly Christian population in Kajuru LGA under a tiny minority Muslim population in Kajuru Emirate and the refusal of the Kaduna State government to engage with or be sensitive to the concerns and feelings of the community have made its people uncertain about their future.
According to him, the proposed reopening and reconstruction of Kasuwan market despite unresolved issues was insensitive and provocative.
The community stated that it had cause to oppose the reopening of the Kasuwan Magani market after the violence of February 2018 because of similar and unaddressed fears.
The statement said, ”Adara community leaders, who had just been released on bail after several days detention were again threatened with arrest and detention to withdraw their opposition which enabled the market to be reopened.
”The community is still in deep shock, sorrow and is highly agitated that all the concerns and true representatives of Adara community are being deliberately and contemptuously ignored.
Maisamari also accused the Kaduna State Government of aggressively promoting the wishes and interests of Hausa/Fulani Muslim residents of the community.
”The clearest examples of such discriminatory actions are the ongoing emergency N3billion project for the reconstruction of Kasuwan Magani market followed by the forceful reopening of the market on the site and the first anniversary of the massacre of more than 200 hundred people.
”Generally, some of the actions and inactions of government, its personnel, agents and some Hausa/Fulani Muslim residents of our community have continued to be matters of serious concern. From September to date, there have been persisting security breaches and criminality all over our community. These include the killings at Kallah, Pogo, Akilibu, Baura Kurutu, Ungwan Maigoro villages and the ambush on security operatives at Jan Dutse resulting in the death of two policemen.
”Several cases of kidnapping also occurred at Buda, Kajuru and Doka among others. Cases of deliberate destruction of farmlands by herdsmen are so rampant that it is now difficult to keep track. Government has been unable to address these challenges. And yet the Kajuru Local Government Council deployed 250 security personnel to forcefully reopen the Kasuwan Magani market and is even threatening to compel other communities to close their local markets to patronize the ill-fated market.
”Adara community regards the above developments as highly insensitive and provocative thereby sustaining an already volatile atmosphere. This Association had cause to oppose the reopening of the Kasuwan Magani market after the violence of February 2018 because of similar and unaddressed fears. Adara community leaders, who had just been released on bail after several days detention were again threatened with arrest and detention to withdraw their opposition which enabled the market to be reopened. Therefore, it was such insensitivity that paved the way for the October 2018 massacre. Events like that consistently show how Adara people and community have been rendered irrelevant in their only homeland and their interests, needs, wishes, views and concerns systematically ignored or suppressed.
Maisamari, therefore, kicked against the reopening of Kasuwan Magani market and the proposed reconstruction project.
According to him, the community will only support the project when it is satisfied that government has retraced its discriminatory inclinations, taken appropriate measures to engage the community and address the interests, concerns, suspicions and fears of Adara nation.
”The community hereby makes a strong appeal that the market should remain closed and all work at the Kasuwan Magani market project site be suspended henceforth.
”In conclusion, we believe that this is the least confidence-building measure necessary to show that the government is interested in meaningful engagement with the community to ensure lasting peace.
”Even on humanitarian grounds, Adara community deserves such token government generosity of spirit and empathy in the aftermath of the atrocities that it is still trying to cope with,” it added.

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