The riot which broke in Bichi area of Kano State yesterday following a misunderstanding between youths engaged in the game of soccer, may have spread into other quarters of Kano State. According to information available to 247ureports.com through a source resident in Kano, two persons were shot dead at close range at the Hotoro Quarters located at the outkirts of Sabon Garri town – inside Nasarawa local government council near Taroni.
According to the information received, the two boys had come to pay a visit to their mother who resides inside Hotoro quarters . They were students of University of Jos. They were shot by youths on two motobikes – who were reported by onlookers to have yelled “Allah is Great” in Arabic as they squeezed the trigger – with the guns pointed directly at the two youths in close range. The youths on motobike escaped the scene. Eyewitness placed the time of the incident at 4pm yesterday.
The boys were native of Umuennem, Otolo Nnewi in Anambra State – the sons of Gabriel Ejikeme. The father had long evacuated Kano state for Lagos following the last riot in Kano – leaving the wife and his children. The name of one of the murdered sons is Nonso Ejikeme and his younger brother. Nonso was a 400 level medical student while his younger brother was a 300 level engineering student.
The scene of Hotoro quarters where the crime occurred is said to be home to mobile police officers and staffs of NNPC. The area is considered a suburb area of Kano. The area houses a large percentage of south easterners.
The bodies of the two boys aged 19 and 21 were immediately taken to the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and deposited there. The Nnewi community in Kano are said to be actively seeking redress for the incident from the government – who promised to fish out the culprits. The chairman of the Otolo Nnewi Community in Kano, Christopher Akabogu is said to have initiated the process of seeking redress from the authorities in Kano. But the general Nnewi community are said to be pensive in their reaction towards the gruesome murder. Some of the members are said to be afraid of “being by Boko Haram” and so have refused to aide in the action to bring the matter to the attention of police officials – or to Ohaneze Ndigbo in Kano.
But the head of Ndigbo in Kano Chief Tobias Idika, the head of Ohaneze Ndigbo [Kano Chapter] was quick to call on the State and Federal government to see the latest incident as symptomatic of the grave insecurity in Kano State for non-indigenes. He called on the outside world to see the actions in Kano as a coordinated efforts by Muslims extremists to exterminate Christains from Northern Nigeria. “This has got to stop“, said the Igbo leader. “We are tired of complaining“.
The Ohaneze leader promised a protest in Kano like “never seen before” in the history of Northern Nigeria.
“We have lost all confidence in the Governor of Kano State, Malam Rabiu Kwankwaso and in the Government of President Goodluck Jonathan. With each violence against us, the President and Governor tells us that we should not worry that it would not happen again. And it always happen again. What are we left to do. The Governor does not care about the non-Muslim residents of Kano. He does not provide security or talk to us” lamented a visibly angry Ohaneze Ndigbo leader. “The want us to take matters in our hands before something is done about this targeted killings. And we may have to defend ourselves the best way we can. It is our right“.
The police in Kano appear lost in the riot. In talking with the Police Public Relations Officer [PPRO], Malam Magaji concerning the shooting of the two south easterners by Muslims of motorbikes, he lost his “cool” – and threatened to rain “hell” on the correspondents of 247ureports.com. In his words, “you people are always asking us biased questions. They was a small riot why are you only concerned with only the death of two people in Hotoro?”. The PPRO continued to say that he will stop responding to all inquires from 247ureports.com.
Security has been beefed up in Kano.
Non-Muslims has begun trooping into the safe havens of Sabon Garri – against fears of a mass riot being on the hatching. Eyewitnesses tell our correspondent that up to 500 non-Muslims were seen at a nearby motorpark in Hotoro – as they boarded vehicles out of the area – into Sabon Garri.
Also, a large prossession of angry Muslim youths dressed in black – carrying sticks, matchetes and other more dangerous weapons – matching along Hadeja road towards Yankaba environs were seen by fleeing non-Muslims – this afternoon. It is not certain what actions the angry youths have planned.
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Stay tuned.
