By: Mayen Etim
KADUNA, North-West Nigeria – The Kaduna State chapter of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), has condemned in strong terms the murder of Raymond Timothy Adia, 35, a councilorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Pari ward, Kauru LGA in the forthcoming Kaduna LG elections billed for October 19.
This is contained in a statement signed by the state chapter Chairman of MBF, Comrade Luka Binniyat, made available to newsmen in Kaduna on Monday, September 30.
The statement reads in part: “According to reports reaching us, Adia was murdered alongside his brother, James, 32, on their way back home after a political event in Kisachi village on Sunday 29th September, 2024 while riding on a motorcycle.
“Adia, who was a graduate of Mass Communication, was a trader in fertiliser and allied agro-based farming inputs, had garnered popularity among locals for his generosity of spirit and community service, we were informed by several sources.
“According to reports reaching us, his killers did not take any of the huge sums of money found on him and his kid brother, James. Neither was the new motorcycle taken away, as bandits and robbers are wont to do.
“This, therefore, likely points to a politically motivated murder. If this stands so, then it calls for deep concern, since Southern Kaduna, which is a core part of the Middle Belt, may be sliding into a dangerous political trend that is all strange to our nature, civilisation and beliefs.”
MBF recalled that in November, 2022, gunmen assassinated Mrs Victoria Chintex, the Women Leader of the Labour Party (LP), of Kaura LGA in Southern Kaduna at her home in Manchok town in a crime believed to be related to her rising political profile and that of her party in Kaura LGA.
“The MBF, Kaduna State chapter is urgently calling on law enforcement agencies to swing into action, fish out the murderers and bring them to justice.
“If politics is a call to service, sacrifice and risk taking for community, we see no reason why anyone would kill for that role.
Allowing this crime to fade away without consequences, will only encourage more of such evil in the future.
“We already have terrorism and sundry crimes we are yet to tackle, Southern Kaduna cannot add a new twist to insecurity in the land.
Unfortunately, the way elected and appointed political office holders flaunt their questionable new found wealth and suppress their constituents, the lure of such positions seems to be getting desperate in Southern Kaduna.
“We are therefore, appealing to all our members who are desirous in contesting for political offices to shun violence of any kind and play politics in the relative tolerant and civilized ways that politics has always been played in our areas in Kaduna State.
“We condole, once more the PDP family, the pregnant wife the deceased candidate and extended family; Pari ward and Kauru LGA.
“Kindly note that MBF, Kaduna State Chapter is made up of all residents of Kaduna State from all parts of the defunct Northern region who were not part of the Sokoto caliphate and Kanem Borno Empire in pre-independence Nigeria.
“That includes the following: the 12 LGAs of Southern Kaduna, Southern Kebbi, Southern Borno, South Bauchi, Niger State, Gombe State, Adamawa State, Taraba State, Benue State, Kogi State
Kwara State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasarawa State and Plateau States.
“All indigenes of the aforementioned areas resident in Kaduna State fall under the MBF as its pan socio-cultural body,” the statement added.