The Authorities of Keana Local Government Council of Nasarawa State reacted to the killing of unspecified number of farmers in the local government area by summoning a meeting of community leaders and security agencies in the council area on Tuesday, March 26.
Reports emerging from the council shows the angry authorities vowing to ensure that the killers of the Innocent farmers who were recently attacked in their farm, are arrested and prosecuted to serve as deterrent to other criminals elements in the area.
The Executive Chairman of the Council, Sanusi Abdul Giza during the emergency meeting with security personnel, traditional rulers, other critical stakeholders and the representative of all the ethnic groups of Kadarko Chiefdom on Tuesday at the palace of Osokadarko in whose domain the incident occurred.
The meeting was in response and part of efforts to curtail the misunderstanding that erupted between two farming communities of Tiv and Eggon on allegations of land grabbing which resulted to the lose of three lives at the weekend.
Addressing the meeting the Local Government Chairman of of Keana and convener of the meeting described the act as most unfortunate, condemnable, unacceptable which will not be condoned by his administration and vowed to fish out the killers and bring them to face the full weight of the law.
He said doing has become very necessary in order to address the security challenges bedeviling the area, adding that, as raining season is setting in and the need to adopt measures that would enable farmers return to their farms without fear of molestation or hindrance.
While empathizing with members of the families affected by the criminal act, enjoined them not to take the laws into their hands by seeking self vengeance but allow government handle the situation.
Abdul Giza admonished all the ethnic groups in the area to live in peace with one another and to shun mischief makers who are looking for opportunities to cause mayhem, saying his office together with security agencies are working out modalities to fish out the bad elements in the locality; a submission that was echoed by the overseer of Giza Development Area, Mohammed Baba Abdullahi.
On their part, the Senior Special Assistant and SA to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Universal Basic Education and Political, Comrade James Ali Manza and Ibrahim Bido, who expressed concern over the ugly incident, noted that the Governor Abdullahi Sule’s led administration will not tolerate any act capable of causing disaffection in the state.
He assured that the state government will join forces with the council chairman to ensure stability and sustainable peace and unity among people of the area.
The Paramount Ruler of Kadarko, the Osokadarko, Mallam Usman Kakunu Dodo described the claims by a particular ethnic group alleging land grabbing as pure mischief.
He explained that the land in question which had not been cultivated for ages and had turned into a hideout for kidnappers and other criminal elements, his Chiefdom and the authority of Keana LGC decided to allocate portions of the land to farmers of different ethnic groups living the area in order to cultivate it after following due process.