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Unrest in the North as 24-hour curfew keeps Kaduna and Damaturu residents at home

As the wave of violence in the North continues to rise daily, a 24-hour curfew has been imposed in Damaturu and Kaduna, where the recent Boko Haram attacks and the consequent reprisals had led to the death of over 101 people within a span of 3 days.

The casualty figure that stood at 74 in Kaduna between Sunday and Monday rose to 77 on Tuesday when some bankers were caught up in an attack around 10am yesterday. While two of them were killed, one is still in a critical condition and is currently receiving some medical attention.

Meanwhile 25 lives have been lost in Damaturu violence that started since Monday, bringing the total figure to 101.

It took the intervention of the Special Security Force deployed to Kaduna for the clash between Muslim and Christian youth to be averted on Tuesday.However, Muslim youths invaded the streets of Kaduna on Tuesday, firing AK-47s, burning tyres and destroying at least one church. Gunshots were heard in different areas of the state.“We heard an explosion which led to a fire. An explosion which resulted in a fire outbreak has occurred at the Panteka market destroying many shops. This happened as the attacks were going on in Tudun Wada just before the curfew was reimposed,” Beautres Moses narrated from Kaduna.

Prior to the intervention of the Nigerian Army, youth from the Muslim dominated Northern Kaduna had gone to streets in protest, ready to attack Christians for the killing of their kin on Sunday.

The youths were said to have also attacked traders at the Sheikh Gumi Central Market and also some Bankers who were returning from work around 10 am. The workers who feared been attacked in their offices had to live for their homes in one vehicle only to be attacked by some Muslim youth leaving two of them dead.

One of the Cousins to the late Matthias Ogwuche, a banker who fell to the same attack on Tuesday, Oko Godwin Ogwuche had told our correspondent that Onoja was the bread winner of their family.

In the story that was narrated amid tears, Okoh, who is also called Fresco had said “Uncle Onoja left Minna  for Kaduna this morning, he had been in Minna since the crisis started last week. While they were on their way from their office this morning, they were attacked. His body is lying lifeless in the Mortuary now. Who will take Onoja’s place in our family?” Okoh had lamented.

Due to the palpable tension, the state governor, Patrick Yakowa, promptly slammed another 24 hour curfew in the state after the earlier one was relaxed on Monday.

Yakowa’s statement on curfew reads, “In view of certain new security challenges that came up today and based on the need for the state government to continue with its responsibility of safeguarding the lives and properties of its citizens, the state government is hereby re-imposing a 24-hour curfew in all parts of the state.

“This curfew covers all the 23 local government areas of the state. As unpalatable as this decision is, the state government is doing it in the best interest of the state. Consequently, everybody is strongly advised to go back home now while security agencies continue with the task of ensuring total peace in the state.”

The violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, has claimed responsibility for the attacks on the churches.

Relatively, a 24 hour curfew was also imposed in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital after four policemen and 2 Army officers were killed in the state on Tuesday in a clash between the security operatives and the Boko Haram militants. Our correspondent had learnt that over 25 people are said to have been killed in Yobe since the crisis broke out on Sunday. As a result of this development, a 24 hour curfew has been imposed in the state The statement announcing the curfew was signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information, Alhaji Abdullahi Bego.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly unanimously agreed yesterday to support President Goodluck Jonathan’s option of a state of emergency in crisis areas of the North even as they agreed to invite the President and his Chief Security adviser to appear before it and explain why there is a continuous insecurity in the land.

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