...Yakowa’s kind-heart, cause of fresh mayhem –Police
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Sun News Publishing
Date:
Wed, 06/20/2012 (All day) A violent claseh between Muslim and Christian youths was averted in Kaduna yesterday.. Some christian youths surrounded two schools in Kabala West, threatening to set ablaze all students, writing their NECO exams in the area. The quick intervention of security operatives saved the situation’s reprisal attacks.
As a result of the tension and apprehension, residents who had hitherto taken advantage of the relaxation of the 24-hour curfew, hurriedly returned home.
The tensed atmosphere forced the Kaduna State government to quickly reverse itself and imposed a fresh dusk-to-dawn curfew on all parts of the state without exception. Although, it could not be ascertained as at press time how many lives were lost, Daily Sun gathered that properties and vehicles had been destroyed before the imposition of the curfew.
Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Muhammed Jinjiri Abubakar also said that Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa decision to relax the 24-hour curfew earlier imposed in the State to enable the people go about their normal businesses was responsible for yesterday’s riot in Kaduna metropolis.
Major highways and roads in the metropolis were yesterday blocked by rampaging youths who were said to be on revenge mission on the death of their supposed kinsmen in the Sunday bomb blast reprisal attacks in some parts of the city.
Places mostly affected, according to eyewitness, were the Eastern bypass, Ibrahim Taiwo road, Abubakar Gumi Central market among others, but Police said, “We were able to dismantle all the road blocks mounted by the rioters.”
Briefing newsmen on the fresh attacks and the last Sunday bomb blasts in Zaria and Kaduna, Abubakar said the Governor did so out of kind heartedness to prevent the people from experiencing hunger and hardship in the cause of observing the curfew.
Though, the Police boss refused to say whether there was death and injuries of people in the fresh attacks till at a later date, unofficial report said some people were killed along Nnamdi Azikiwe Eastern bypass with several others injured.
He however, confirmed that the injured ones were taken to various hospitals in the city, adding that one of the policemen that was injured and had his riffle snatched by the rioters was receiving medical attention, just as the riffle had been recovered.
He said two principal suspects who he simply gave their names as Mallam Daudu and Mr.Victor were caught with dangerous weapons and 17 gas cylinders suspected to be impoverished explosion that could cause massive destruction.
On why the police could not foil Sunday bombings in Kaduna and Zaria despite alleged first hand information that got to them about impending blasts, the CP simply said, “My men went on servicing of the vehicles, and that is not to say that we were taken unaware by the bombers.”
According to the CP, “Governor Yakowa was sympathetic to the situation of the people, he said that people should be allowed to go about their lawful business despite the tension in town. It was a kind gesture on the part of the Governor.
“But the Governor’s kindness was abused by the people, and that is wrong of them, and that was why the Governor relaxed the curfew, but we are going out in full force now to enforce the curfew to the later. The curfew will continue till further notice.
“On whether there was death in this fresh attack, we don’t know yet, by the time we meet with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other security agencies, we will be able to put records together and see if there was death or not.
“We just came back from operation, it is not humanly possible for me to give you the number of death, but we have succeeded in keeping the State capital calm and peaceful.”
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