By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

Stakeholders in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State have reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining the prevailing peace, unity, and cooperation among residents of the area.

This pledge was made during an expanded security meeting held at the Kagarko Local Government Secretariat, where community leaders, youth representatives, traditional rulers, and herders’ groups reiterated their resolve to prevent any attempt to disrupt the long-standing harmony in the region.

The stakeholders emphasized that peaceful coexistence has remained a core value of Kagarko communities and vowed to ensure that no individual or group is allowed to sow division among people who have lived as brothers and sisters for generations.

Reacting to recent reports alleging unrest between farmers and herders, Mrs. Charity Dangana, a women’s leader in the area, explained that community members had only paid a courtesy visit to the Traditional Ruler of Koro Chiefdom, Dr. Yohannan Akoito, to express concerns over isolated incidents of night grazing.

She said the Royal Father assured them that the matter would be promptly addressed with relevant authorities.

“We were surprised to see false reports on social media suggesting that Kagarko was in crisis. I want to say categorically that we are peaceful people and remain committed to sustaining our peaceful coexistence,” Dangana stated.

Similarly, John Musa, a youth leader from Kabara District, refuted claims of any breakdown in peace, noting that misinformation was being spread by individuals seeking to create unnecessary tension.

“We only discussed some unusual developments with our Royal Father. Unfortunately, some people twisted the story to make it appear as a conflict,” he said.

On his part, Ardo Usman Abdullahi, representing the Fulani herders, apologized for damages caused by night grazing, describing it as an isolated act not representative of the herders’ community. He assured that those responsible would be identified and disciplined.

Chairman of Kagarko Local Government Council, Hon. Muhuyideen A. Umar, reaffirmed that relations between farmers, herders, and other residents remain cordial, attributing the stability to Governor Uba Sani’s ongoing investment in peacebuilding, dialogue, and community security structures.

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, represented by his adviser Musa Likita, commended the people of Kagarko and Southern Kaduna for their commitment to peace and urged them to continue working closely with security agencies.

Likita also highlighted several ongoing development projects benefiting the region, including the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, the Federal Medical Centre, Kafanchan, and the Defence Farm Project at Gurara Dam, noting that peace was key to sustaining such progress.

At the end of the meeting, the stakeholders unanimously reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful coexistence, stressing that cooperation among farmers, herders, and residents of Kagarko remains strong and that the area is not experiencing any crisis.