Christian leaders under the umbrella of Christian Association of Nigeria met with Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Monday to discuss ways of finding lasting peace to the troubled southern region of the state.
CAN National President, Reverend Samson Ayokunle, led a team of other clergymen to the meeting which held at the Government House in Kaduna.
Ayokunle in his speech, charged the security agencies to unmask those behind the senseless killings in Southern Kaduna, notwithstanding of their tribe or religious background and bring them to justice.
The CAN President also called on the government and security agencies to ensure that all illegal firearms in the troubled communities are mopped up.
He also enjoined parties to the conflict to avoid making claims and counter-claims as they seek ways of ending the crisis.
Reports indicate that military-grade arsenals are freely deployed in the killings in the mainly Christian area of Kaduna State, which is bring negative global attention to Nigeria.
He said that the festering crisis is compounded by the ethnic and religious colouration in which the actors paint it.
The clergyman, among other demands, asked that all parties in the conflict to stop making provocative statements or carrying out attacks and reprisals, as well as mop-up of illegal firearms from criminals by security agencies.
El-Rufai has been variously accused of taking sides with the Fulanis whom people of Southern Kaduna in the festering crisis in the area, a charge which the governor debunked in a Channels Television programme Politics on Sunday.
In the programme, the governor accused leaders of the people of Southern Kaduna of seeking to use the situation in the area for their personal gains.
According to him, it is such leaders that want the crisis to fester and make it difficult for solutions.
He dismissed the opinion that he taking sides and indeed discriminate against the people of the area. El-Rufai said that despite the crisis the local governments in the area are getting a fair share of government amenities.
Details of the meeting between CAN and the state government were still being expected at press time.
