By Our Correspondents | Katsina Times
A peace meeting involving community representatives, traditional rulers, Islamic scholars and representatives of some armed groups operating in parts of Katsina State has been held in Kankara Local Government Area.
The meeting, which took place on Saturday, was aimed at exploring ways of strengthening peace and security in Kankara and neighbouring communities.
The gathering commenced at about 2 p.m. but was disrupted by a storm and rainfall, forcing participants to end the meeting before all scheduled discussions could be concluded. Despite the interruption, participants delivered speeches and reportedly reached a number of important understandings and commitments aimed at promoting peace and security in the area.
Among the armed-group representatives reported to have attended were Buzare from Danmusa; Ado Aleru from Zamfara; Sanusi Dan Dutsinma, Mustapha Babaro and Idi Malabaiye, all from Kankara; Manore from Safana; as well as representatives of Idi Kwashen-Garwa.
Government representatives included the chairmen of Kankara, Faskari and Bakori local government areas, alongside a representative from Malumfashi Local Government Area.
The traditional institution was represented by the District Head of Kankara, retired Judge Adamu Bello, together with the Village Heads under his authority; as well as a representative of the Kanwan Katsina, the District Head of Ketare and their respective Village Heads.
Islamic scholars and clerics from both the Tariqa and Izala traditions also attended the meeting. They offered prayers and counselled participants on the importance of peace, security and peaceful coexistence.
The meeting was held at Gonar Bala Dabo, a farm located along the Katoge Road, approximately three kilometres from Kankara town.
During the meeting, Fulani leaders delivered speeches on possible approaches to sustaining peace in the area. Islamic scholars offered prayers and guidance, while ward heads and other stakeholders made appeals for cooperation among all parties towards ending insecurity.
The meeting is part of continuing efforts involving communities, traditional institutions, religious leaders, local authorities and representatives of armed groups to explore dialogue as a means of reducing violence and improving security in affected communities.
However, details of the specific commitments reportedly reached at the meeting were not immediately made public.
At the time of filing this report, Katsina Times had indicated that it would publish further details and speeches from the meeting through its Facebook platforms, including Katsina City News and Jaridar Taskar Labarai, as well as its other online platforms, including Katsina Times TV.
