Southern Kaduna's Cry for Liberation: A Voice Against Marginalization and Colonial Legacies

 Southern Kaduna's Cry for Liberation: A Voice Against Marginalization and Colonial Legacies In a passionate address that echoed the fru...

 Southern Kaduna's Cry for Liberation: A Voice Against Marginalization and Colonial Legacies

In a passionate address that echoed the frustrations of millions, a prominent Southern Kaduna leader laid bare the deep seated injustices plaguing the region, calling for its rightful place in Nigeria's socio-political map. Speaking at a community gathering, the orator whose identity remains protected for security reasons highlighted the demographic, geographical, and cultural erasure of Southern Kaduna, drawing parallels to broader Nigerian struggles for liberty.

Southern Kaduna, home to 3.9 million people according to the 2006 census, spans a geographical landscape larger than 23 other states in the federation. Yet, its multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic composition  dominated by minority groups  has rendered it a perpetual victim of denial and domination. “I want us to understand something," the speaker declared. "Southern Kaduna is made up of 3.9 million people... But because it is made up of multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic, and minority ethnic groups, it is denied its rights."

The region's plight, he argued, mirrors the global cry for liberation from oppressive regimes. "When I hear people talk about liberty and liberation of Nigerians from Libya, I ask: When will they talk about my liberty and liberation from Niger, Plateau, Benue, Southern Kaduna, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, and Taraba?"

At the heart of the address was a scathing critique of Nigeria's distorted geography, designed not to unite but to oppress. Urging the audience to visualize a straight line across Kaduna State on a map, the speaker revealed how neighboring states have been misclassified to marginalize the Middle Belt.

"If you draw a line across Kaduna, straight across, you will find out that Gombe, Nasarawa, Bauchi, Adamawa are all below Kaduna on the map. They are not above. So how can Taraba be Northeast when they are below Kaduna? They are supposed to be in the Middle Belt. Somebody somewhere has changed your geography. Somebody somewhere has changed your mental thinking."

To illustrate the absurdity, he recounted a grueling ninehour drive from Kaduna to Enugu a journey that followed "the roots of the colonial master" to artificially distance communities. "In America and Britain, roads are built so that it connects the nation together. In Nigeria, roads are built to connect colonial communities together. People who should be oppressed."

The result? A villager in Southern Kaduna, mere four to five hours from Enugu, is made to feel "nearer to somebody who is 14 hours away" due to engineered isolation. "Look at the map here," he implored, pointing to Kaduna's position. "Don't draw a straight line. You will see where Gombe, Adamawa, and others are. Who is doing this? Why is he doing it?"

The speaker turned his gaze to cultural erasure, honoring an "eminent father" from the region a revered traditional leader whose arrival commanded "the air of importance and cultural value." Yet, he lamented, such figures are relegated to "second-class chief" status compared to others nationwide.

"What makes him a second class chief to any other chief anywhere in Nigeria? No reason... Why has somebody said another person is recognized as the first and others are second? What is creating this level of domination?"

Apologizing for stumbling over the chief's intricate title  "Forgive me sir... You make me twist my tongue"  the orator underscored the intrinsic reverence these leaders deserve, stolen by arbitrary hierarchies.

Categorically rejecting religious animosity, the address pinpointed a "few in number  very few in Nigeria" who weaponized faith for personal gain. "I and I believe a host of us sitting here, we have nothing against any religion. Because all religions are good and pure, based on the fact that there are people who practice it."

But these manipulators, he charged, "use religion to oppress others for their own good... They are using it to acquire land. They are using it to acquire power. And they never work for it. But they are enjoying the bounties of the land. So they are not willing to allow anybody enjoy it."

The rallying cry culminated in an unyielding demand for restructuring. "So anytime we want to look for freedom like restructuring, they say it cannot work. It should work and must work."

As applause thundered, the speaker sat, leaving a charged silence. Southern Kaduna's 3.9 million voices diverse, resilient, and united refuse to be silenced. In a nation built on colonial divides, their quest for true liberty challenges Nigeria to redraw not just maps, but minds. 

Family Writers Press International.