Gonin Gora: ‘Kaduna’s Bermuda Triangle of sort’

Intercepting innocent travellers and hacking them to death during crisis in Kaduna is not limited to Gonin Gora, a sprawling settlement of the Kaduna-Abuja highway. However, it has put itself on the spotlight ahead of places like Maraban Jos and Rigachikun, which were also notorious for similar traits in the past. But after the suicide […]

Intercepting innocent travellers and hacking them to death during crisis in Kaduna is not limited to Gonin Gora, a sprawling settlement of the Kaduna-Abuja highway. However, it has put itself on the spotlight ahead of places like Maraban Jos and Rigachikun, which were also notorious for similar traits in the past. But after the suicide attacks on churches in Zaria and Kaduna, claimed by Boko Haram, there was reprisal attacks which allegedly led to the hacking to death of innocent passengers plying the Kaduna-Abuja highway.

Residents of Kaduna said their question that is begging for answer is why do youths of these areas kill innocent travellers any time there is clash in any part of the state?

A resident of Kaduna, Malam Dan’asabe Sani, said the habit of intercepting innocent travellers and hacking them to death in the name of reprisals is madness.

“Of course, somebody in his right senses cannot intercept a traveller who is passing through that area, for example, and killed him in the name of a reprisal over a bomb attack that took place in Kaduna or any other pretext, which the traveller might not be even aware of. I think this has to stop. The government must take measures to stop this.

“The community leaders of these areas must be held responsible whenever such incidents happen . They live with those youths and they have to therefore control them during crisis. Those who refuse  to heed to the community leaders’ restraint   must be fished out and make them to face the full wrath of the law but for me, places like Gonin Gora have became a Bermuda Triangle of sort,” Sani said.

Gonin Gora, Maraban Jos and the other towns became notorious for such killings and burning of travellers’ cars and vehicles during the Kaduna Shari’ah riots and other crises. Many Nigerians, some prominent, lost their lives at Gonin Gora, Maraban Jos and other towns.

During the Shari’ah riot in Kaduna, for example, Major Abdullahi Ibrahim, then a member representing Sabon Gari Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives was killed a and his corpse   set ablaze in Gonin Gora. The family of late Major Ibrahim only recognised his corpse through his shoes as the corpse was burnt beyond recognition.

There are many of such gory tales which were recorded in Gonin Gora, Maraban Jos and other towns that made the killings of innocent travellers a habit.

The amazing thing, however, according to Sani, is how some communities that are also living close to the highway don’t engage themselves in similar act.

“Just take an example of Katari that is predominantly Christians and Maraban Gayan, just very close to Gonin Gora, which is predominantly Muslims. To my knowledge, there was never a time that innocent travellers were intercepted and killed in these communities. This is why I believed that the leaders of Gonin Gora and other towns that their youths engage in this dastardly act have to be held responsible. They ought to be arrested and prosecuted until they produce the culprits. If government can do that, I assure you there would never be repeat of such incidents,” Sani said.

The gory tales that emerged from Gonin Gora and other places after the Sunday, June 17, attack on some churches had yet brought to fore the need for something drastic measures to be taken, residents of Kaduna interviewed by Weekly Trust said.

The traditional ruler of Katabu (Maraban Jos), Alhaji Adamu Sa’idu, said the ugly incidents of the past, which took place at the area forced the community leaders to unite to end such ugly occurrences.

“After the   2011 election riot, where we had a very devastating experience, we decided to form a forum that we named Kungiyar Zaman Lafiya, literally translated from Hausa as Peace Forum. We brought together various groups – Muslims and non-Muslims – living in Maraban Jos. We engaged in youths’ enlightenment and by the grace of Allah this initiative is beginning to yield result for us.

“When the recent crisis broke out, we did not fold our hands. We went out cautioning our youths not to do anything bad. Wherever we see group of youths discussing; we disperse them. That initiative has paid off because in this last crisis even a fly was not hurt in Maraban Jos and by the grace of Allah such ugly incident would never repeat itself in Maraban Jos,” Alhaji Sa’idu said.

In a similar development, a statement by the district head of Gonin Gora and traditional title holder of Walin Gbagyi, Yusuf Doma Sarki, said most of the stories going round on the happenings at Gonin Gora were only fabricated.

“We are aware of the fact that criminals and miscreants took advantage of the scenario in Kaduna on Sunday, June 17, to molest innocent people as well as take laws into their hands and to some extent damaged cars, property and some places of worship in some parts of Kaduna town after the suicide bombings that killed many people. Contrary to the mischievous propaganda; we wish to state that no any form of mass killings or killings of whatever form took place in Gonin Gora.

“There is a military presence and other security operatives stationed in the community that can attest to this reality. Those peddling this wicked propaganda had also gone to town with lies that innocent people in transit were stopped and serially killed. All these claims had been proved to be lies and attempt to further create confusion and escalate violence in the state. The records of killings of innocent Nigerians and those in transit are there for those who care to check, along Rigachikun-Zaria road axis, Maraban Jos, Bakin Ruwa, Rigasa, Buruku-Birnin Gwari routes and Kawo areas, among others.”

In the same vein, Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Kaduna State Governor, Reuben Buhari, said the governor has condemned any act of crime in whatever form. He said killing of innocent travellers or any form of reprisal is always an unfortunate development that always leads to more destruction of lives and property.

“The position of government is not even to have any crisis in the state, not at all, not just on the highways but in the whole of the state. Our desire is for the whole state to have peace; sustainable peace,” Buhari said.

What is now left to be seen is how the Kaduna State government would fish out the perpetrators of the attack on three churches in Kaduna and Zaria and the reprisals that followed, which includes the alleged killing that took place on the Gonin Gora axis. If the perpetrators of such crimes are punished, residents of Kaduna said, it would certainly serve as deterrent to others. This, the residents added, may bring an end to such gory incidences.