Govt Imposes Curfew As Tension Builds Up In Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government has imposed a 24-hour curfew on the state capital and its environs to forestall a breakdown of law and order.

Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Samuel Aruwan, said the curfew was with immediate effect.

“A 24-hour curfew has been imposed on Kaduna town and environs. It is with immediate effect,” Aruwan said in a statement.

Tension had enveloped the state following the communal clash at Kasuwan Magani in the Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.

The police in the state claimed that no fewer than 55 persons were killed in the clash, while 22 suspects had been arrested.

On Sunday after church services, there was a commotion in areas like  Sabo Tasha, Ungwan Pama, Television Garage,  Barnawa, Ungwan Romi, and Narayi, where residents were sighted running for dear life.

Some youths were spotted mounting roadblocks.
The areas are dominated by Christian and located in the southern part of the state.

As of 3.30pm, shops, pubs, major fuel stations as well as Barnawa Shopping Complex were closed down for fear of mayhem.

Our correspondent gathered that the confusion was as a result of a rumour of crisis in the southern part of the state.

An eyewitness, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the rumour turned out as false.

He said, “People should stop spreading rumour, because spreading rumour is dangerous.

“What really happened in Kujama  market was that bees entered the market, and out of panic people started running without finding out what went wrong.”

As of the time of filing this report, operatives of the state security outfit, codenamed Operation Yaki, were patrolling the streets to ensure the safety of lives and property in the state.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, said he would be expecting regular updates from the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on efforts being made to restore normalcy to troubled Kaduna.

He disclosed that a special intervention force had already been deployed in the troubled spots.
Buhari disclosed these in a series of tweets posted on his Twitter handle, @MBuhari on Sunday.
President said the disregard for the sanctity of life was not acceptable.

Source: Punch