The Bauchi State Goverment has imposed a 12-hour curfew in some parts of the State following religious crisis that erupted Sunday night.
It could be recalled that Police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Command, DSP Kamal Abubabakar, on Monday confirmed that 3 people were killed, 8 injured and two houses burnt during the uprising.
He added that 75 suspects were arrested.
Speaking at a statewide broadcast, the Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubabakar, said the curfew was necessary to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
He said that areas affected by the curfew include Yelwa Tsakani, Ungwan Kusu, Ungwan Ngas, Lushi and Yelwa Kagadama.
He said: “a sad development on Sunday 18th November, 2018, occurred following a misunderstanding between some youth around Yelwa Tsakani and Lushi communities during a birthday party.
“This degenerated into a communal crisis leading to the loss of 3 people and destruction of two houses at Yelwa Tsakani settlement.”
The Governor said that the government will not fold its arms and watch some disgruntled elements destroy the hard earned peace in the state.
He said that the unfortunate incident resulted in affecting the relative peace enjoyed in the state since the inception of this administration.
He added that the incident also came at a time when the federal government was taking necessary measures to restore peace in some parts of the country ravaged by communal conflicts
“As you all know, Bauchi State is known for its peaceful coexistence and law-abiding disposition. We must, therefore, not allow disgruntled elements who may want to sow seeds of discord among us.
“I personally inspected the area yesterday (Monday) and saw things for myself. I had to appeal to the warring communities for calm.”
Abubabakar further said that “in order to ensure peace among the communities and to prevent the hoodlums in the affected areas from further escalating the disturbance from spreading to other parts of the state, the government has imposed a curfew from the hours of 7pm to 6am from today, 20th November until further notice.”
He called on residents in the affected areas to obey the curfew, warning that any person found violating it will be dealt with decisively.
The Governor called on traditional, religious and community leaders to emphasize the need for tolerance, peace and respect for one another.
He also called on all residents of the state to pray for the state especially as the 2010 general elections approached.
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