By Iliya Kure
Kaduna State Government in northern Nigeria on Sunday imposed a 24-hour curfew on Kaduna city and environs.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai announced the curfew in his twitter handle, saying the action was necessary and in the interest of the state.
This is a notice of a 24-hour curfew imposed on Kaduna town and environs, with immediate effect.
Residents are advised to comply by this directive.
The decision has been taken in the best interest of the state.— Governor of Kaduna (@GovKaduna) October 21, 2018
Information gathered by AFRICA PRIME NEWS reveals that the curfew followed reports of unrest and killings in parts of Kaduna city.
Residents of Kaduna have taken to social media reporting incidences of road blocks mounted by youths and burning of cars in some parts of the town.
Footage from Kaduna today.
I can't believe I saw this with my own eyes#prayforKaduna pic.twitter.com/WB3kwNhRRJ— tiwa_addict (@runningdog46) October 21, 2018
On Thursday, 55 people were killed in Kasuwan Magani, a Kaduna village, following disagreement between Christian and Muslim youths.
A crisis in February left more than 10 people dead in Kasuwan Magani. 65 suspects arrested in connected with that crisis have been arraigned in a Kaduna court.
Governor El-Rufai has called on residents of the state to respect one another and be law abiding.
Let us respect each other, abide by the law, do our duty to uphold harmony and firmly reject division and violence!
— Governor of Kaduna (@GovKaduna) November 12, 2016
On Saturday, President Muhammadu Buhari has issued a statement through his spokesman condemning the Kasuwan Magani crisis, calling for calm.
He admonished the people to develop the spirit of tolerance and patience at all times.
Also in reaction to the Kasuwan Magani crisis, Nigeria Police in a statement said it has deployed its officers, including an Assistant Inspector-General of Police to carry out “24 hours surveillance and patrol, stop and search, continuous raid of identified criminal hideouts and black spots.” said its spokesperson Jimoh Moshood.
Moshood added that 22 suspects directly involved in the violence have been arrested and are in custody assisting the police in investigation.