Zango-Kataf Traditional Council cautions religious leaders against inciting sermons
NAN-DS-10
Violence
Kafanchan (Kaduna) Dec. 7, 2016 (NAN) The Atyap Traditional Council in Zangon Kataf Local Government of Kaduna State, has warned religious leaders in the area against inciting sermons that could cause a breach of law and order.
The council, at a meeting held at the chiefdom’s headquarters at Atag’N Jei, on Wednesday, particularly warned preachers against delivering messages that could create mutual hatred and distrust across religious lines.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the meeting, held between traditional and religious leaders, reviewed the recent civil unrest that claimed some lives in Samaru Kataf, and considered measures to forestall a recurrence.
Mr Dominic Yahaya, the paramount traditional ruler of the Atyap, in a speech at the meeting, condemned the violence, and described it as “babaric”.
The royal father regretted that miscreants took advantage of reported violence at Tudun Wada in Jema’a Local Government of the state to attack innocent people that had gone to do business at the weekly Samaru market.
He vowed that the traditional council would deal with perpetrators of the Samaru incident to serve as a deterrent to those nursing the same ambition.
Yahaya, while condoling relations of those who lost their loved ones, advised them to consider the incident as an act of God.
A cross section of participants, who spoke at the meeting, however urged the Kaduna State Government to rise to the responsibility of putting an end to the killings in rural communities, especially at Godogodo and environs.
“ Government must strive to end the killings in the rural commuities in the south of Kaduna State to avoid a situation where they could spread to other towns and villages in the area,” one of the religious leaders counseled.
They also urged government to investigate the cause of the violence and get to to its roots so as to end it.
The religious leaders tasked each other on the need to restrict their sermons to the provisions of their Holy books and desist from messages that could cause disaffection.
NAN recalls that violence broke out in Zonkwa and Samaru communities in Zangon Kataf Local Government penultimate Tuesday, with angry youths taking to the streets to retaliate the alleged killing of some people in neighbouring Jema’a Local Government Area. (NAN)
MGK/ETS
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Edited by Ephraims Sheyin