WHO IS AFTER KAZE?

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/who-after-kaze-/148756/ 28 May 2013

Hon. Bitrus Kaze

Allegations of planned assassination of a member of the House of Representatives from Plateau State, Hon. Bitrus Kaze, has elicited a growing concern in the state, writes Seriki Adinoyi

The House of Representatives member from Jos South/Jos Eastconstituency, Hon. Bitrus Kaze, is unarguably one of the most audacious representatives from the state in the National Assembly. His penchant for defending the oppressed, especially the Plateau people that he represents can hardly be faulted. No wonder the people of his constituency returned him to the House with an overwhelming support in the 2011 elections.

On several occasions, Kaze had protested the injustice done to his constituency, and the general public. On several times, he had resigned his appointment as deputy chairman, House committee on Climate Change in protest of the injustice done to his people during
the period Plateau suffered repeated crises. Kaze once disagreed with the leadership of the House when he accused it of taking side in the sectarian crisis in Jos, the Plateau State capital. He noted that the then Speaker, Dimeji Bankole and his Deputy, Nafada had attended to the Jos crisis in such manner that put to question, their neutrality.

Kaze had also stood his ground to challenge the Major General Maina-led Special Task Force (STF) over its alleged complicity in the
Jos crisis that saw hundreds of his people dead in its wake. “It has done incalculable damage to the image of the military and particularly the Special Task Force (STF) on the Plateau,” he said at the time. Interestingly, when the need arose to commend the military, Kaze did not hold back. He said there were commendable traits in the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Azubike Ihejirika and the then General Officer Commanding, 3, Division, Jos, Major General Sunday Idoko, “for the different approaches their regime gave the Jos crisis”.

His approach to issues was blunt, irrespective of who was involved. All he wanted was justice. This informed why he once said “it would be better that I don’t eat throughout a day than to see injustice done to any people and refuse to condemn it.” His constituents, and indeed the Plateau people love him for this.

They have repeatedly identified him as one of the trusted voices the state has in the National Assembly. But to him, he was just doing what he was elected to do.

Unfortunately, this may have come with a price. His recent stand against amnesty for the Boko Haram sect was probably one of the reasons he has continued to attract the rage of some Northern elders, who had canvassed amnesty for the sect. “The call, coming at a time when security reports from terrorists’ training camps in Mali have established links between Boko Haram and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the advocacy for amnesty in favour of Boko Haram offends the Nigerian Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011, which provides for effective implementation of the several international conventions on the Prevention, Financing and Combating of Terrorism to which Nigeria is a signatory,” he said.

He cited the constitution as making provision for the security and welfare of the people as the primary focus of government. “President Goodluck Jonathan has an obligation to enforce all international conventions on terrorism, none of which provides for amnesty to terrorists.” He noted that the terrorist group itself had declined amnesty and queried why the Sultan and the Northern Governors Forum kept crying more than the bereaved.

Rather than worry about the over 3,000 families that had been murdered by the Islamic sect, Kaze was worried that the Northern Governors Forum was concerned only about the pioneer leader of the sect, late
Mohammed Yusuf.

“Unsatisfied with the whooping N100m compensation paid to the family of the late Mohammed Yusuf alone, the Northern Governors Forum has recommended that the protracted court case against the suspected killers of the pioneer Boko Haram leader should be brought to a quick determination, without making any mention, whatsoever, of the over 3000 families across the nation, whose kith and kin had been brutally murdered by Mohammed Yusuf and his disciples.”

But since racing against the Sultan and the Northern governors, the lawmaker claimed not to have known peace. He was immediately
challenged by a prince of the Caliphate and a serving Senator of the federal Republic, Senator Maccido, who warned Kaze not speak about the Sultan in such a manner.

“I am telling him in strong words that he should either retract his words or apologise in person to the Sultan. I will also repeat it that he should be careful with his statement.” But Kaze would not yield to this and indeed, other warnings because he believed that the right must be done and the wrong, condemned irrespective of who was behind it.

What thereafter followed was the allegation by people on the aegis of Vigilant Democrats that Kaze narrowly escaped assassination in Jos. The group had raised the alarm, saying that the enemies of peace in Plateau had upgraded terror tactics aimed at plunging the state into more confusion. They also alleged that over 30 foreign trained kidnappers and assassins had been deployed into Jos and environs. Spokesman of the  group, Jonathan Pwajok,  said the targets of the mercenaries are traditional and political leaders in the state including the Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Buba Gyang;  the Gwom Rwei of Barkin Ladi, the chairman of Barkin Ladi Emmauel Loman and any of Governor Jonah Jang’s sons, particularly Yakubu and of course, Kaze.

“We are aware that between 1pm and 2pm on the 22nd of April, a gang of hired assassins acting on a tip-off from two prominent politicians in Jos trailed Hon. Bitrus Kaze in an unmarked Brown Vectra car from his house to UTC Junction, along Murtala Mohammed way, Jos. All the four occupants of the brown Vectra except one were foreign nationals; three of them were armed with FN assault rifles and were on a mission to Kidnap and subsequently assassinate him (Kaze).

“The assassins set out from a place of worship in Rafin Pa and were able to track Hon Kaze’s car with the help of the former local
government chieftain, who monitored and reported his movements to the assassins shortly after he (Kaze) drove out of his house. They had copy of the official number plate of the car Kaze was driving.”

According to the group, it was by sheer providence that the lawmaker escaped the assassins when he drove to the military checkpoint at the UTC Junction along Murtala Mohammed Way, where he packed and remained inside his car for over 20 minutes, not knowing that the assassins were trailing him.

The group, therefore, condemned “the callous attempt to permanently shut out and silence our elected leaders,” adding that it was barely one year when the state was thrown into mourning after the brutal murder of two of its prominent sons: Senator Gyang Dangtong and Hon Gyang Fulani.

While appreciating the efforts of the security operatives in the state in protecting lives and properties, Vigilant Democrats said it was baffled “how an unmarked car, with occupants armed to the teeth, could traverse the city of Jos from Rafin Pa at Corner Shagari to as far as UTC Junction brandishing weapons without being detected and arrested notwithstanding the numerous military check points. Though he was lucky to have escaped, he is now being cautioned him to tread carefully to avoid being attacked. But Kaze who differed would rather express himself than watch things go awry.