The mayhem unfolding in Kaduna State may have recorded its deadliest blow yesterday as Muslim youths took their rampage to the markets located at the Northern Kaduna where Muslims are the dominant group.
Information available to 247ureports.com indicates that the Kaduna Central Market was attacked owing to the premature relaxation of the 24hour curfew across the state to a 6pm to 6am curfew. As the traders of Kaduna Central Market arrived at the gated Marketplace to unlock their various shops to beginning the business of the day at across minutes to 7am, a group of irate Muslim youths pounced into the market premises and locked the gates – and commenced/launched an attack on the traders that had arrived to unlock their shops. Many of the traders who were caught unawares ran for safety while the unlucky one who could not escape the youths – were knifed to death. Four Igbo traders believed to be Anambra in origin were brutally killed – before the security agents arrived at the markets to secure the area. As the security agents staged in Kaduna [Operation Yaki] arrived to the Kaduna Central Market, the irate Muslim youths escaped the scene. The security operative have remained tight lipped on the identities of the 4 slaughtered traders.
Similar scenario played out at the Kaduna Polytechnic – as irate Muslim youths from the vicinity of Tudun Wada took advantage of the relaxed curfew and briefly gained unfettered entry into the polytechnic campus armed with exotic knives/daggers and other dangerous weapons at about 2pm yesterday Tuesday June 19, 2012. The students were caught unawares as they scampered for their lives while others managed to fight for their lives. Before the men of the Operation Yaki could arrive to the campus, two bodies believed to be students of the polytechnic were laying lifeless near the entrance of the campus. The identities of the two dead students were not available.
The attacks by the irate youths were reported to have been isolated to the northern part of Kaduna were the dominant popular are the Muslims while Southern Kaduna where the dominant popular are the Christians remained relatively calm. The communities in the northern part of Kaduna within the vicinity of Kaduna Central Market, Tudun Wada, Kawo and Rigasa experienced violent activities yesterday. Exclusive eyewitness reports indicate that three Churches were hazed yesterday during ruckus. An ECWA church located in Tudun Wada was attacked, another church [name not known] was attacked in Tudun Nufawa and another church [JAWOM Church] was attacked in Ungwan Nua’azu. Other attempts were made by the irate youths to attack other church. But the attempts were not successful due to the quick acting vigilante security setup by some within the Christian communities who refused to run.
Security operatives, on their part, remain apprehensive over celebrating the return of calm in Kaduna State. The majority of the security operatives, according to a source within the top ranks, share a mixed feeling over the ability of the violence in Kaduna to be permanently stopped by mere fight power. “There is real anger on both sides” said the source who went on to add that “these boys are serious” as he explained the determination to get revenge at all cost against the other side. “We will need more than just firepower and curfews against this problem”.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the attention of the legislative arm of the Nigerian federal government has turned towards the incessant sectarian killings in selected part of the country – that appears to have continued unabated. Accordingly, the Nigeria’s House of Representatives has summoned President Goodluck Jonathan to appear before its chambers behind closed-doors to brief lawmakers of the efforts at stopping the continued killings.
The lawmakers also summoned the president to come along with some of his aides – including, the National security Adviser General Azazi; Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Petinrin; Director of State Security Service, (SSS) Mr Ekpeyong; and the Acting Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Abubakar.
The summon came through a motion moved on the floor of the House by Yakubu Barde [PDP Kaduna] and supported by Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila [ACN Lagos].
