Riots flare in southern Kaduna ahead Sallah

A senior police official in the town reached by The Associated Press confirmed the fighting but declined to comment further. A commotion could be heard on the line before the police officer hung up.   Spokesman for the policed force headquarters in Abuja, Yemi Ajayi, said reports of rioting had reached them, but he had […]

A senior police official in the town reached by The Associated Press confirmed the fighting but declined to comment further. A commotion could be heard on the line before the police officer hung up.

 

Spokesman for the policed force headquarters in Abuja, Yemi Ajayi, said reports of rioting had reached them, but he had no further details.

The violence apparently began after an attack on a church in the night in Tabak, a village near Zonkwa, Kaduna state police spokesman Aminu Lawal told The Associated Press. Two people died in that attack, while 12 others were injured, police said.

The fighting comes ahead of Eid el-Kabir celebrations tomorrow.

Weekly Trust learnt that unknown gunmen attacked the St. Joseph Church at about 2am when worshippers were conducting a night vigil. A witness said the attackers stormed the church and opened fire on the worshippers.

“The attackers engaged in a sporadic shooting. As a result they killed two people while many others sustained various degrees of injury. Most of the injured are in critical condition and they are right now receiving treatment at the St. Loise Hospital in Zonkwa,” Mr Estaphanus Jarman said.

Governor Patrick Yakowa, in company of commissioner of police Balla M. Nasarawa, the GOC 1 Mechanised Division and other security chiefs in the state, visited the town yesterday afternoon.

Yakowa’s spokesman Reuben Buhari said the governor went to the town for on the spot assessment and to douse tension in the area.

“His Excellency has condemned, in totality, the unnecessary and reprehensible shooting. He also took time to interact with the youths of the area and listened to their complaints, advising them not to take law into their hands. He viewed with dismay that some criminally minded people are bent on creating unnecessary tension within the state. He appealed to all residents of Zonkwa, in particular, and Kaduna State in general to shun any act capable of shattering the peace that the state is currently enjoying

“While security agencies continue with investigation into the incident, people of the state are further enjoined to remain security conscious and report any suspicious movement to security agencies. The governor has promised to foot the medical bills of the injured,” Buhari said.