JUST IN: El-Rufai declares curfew in Kaduna as violence spread

Spokesman for Kaduna State governor, Samuel Aruwan, posted on his Facebook timeline on Sunday that the curfew is with immediate effect. “A 24 hour curfew has been imposed on Kaduna town and environs. It is with immediate effect,” he said. Our reporter gathered that there is tension in some parts of the state on Sunday afternoon as residents scampered for safety. The Kaduna State Police Command, on Friday said 55 people were killed in Thursday’s communal crisis at Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state. The State Commissioner of Police Ahmad Abdur-Rahman who disclosed this at a press briefing in Kaduna, said that the police had arrested 22 suspects in connection with the mayhem. Mr Abdul-Rahaman said mobile and conventional policemen, as well as a team of the state joint security operatives, Operation Yaki, despatched to the town had restored normalcy in the area. According to him, he has also visited the town and engaged youth leaders, traditional and religious leaders in the efforts to stop the crisis and prevent its spread He noted that the timely imposition of curfew by the Kaduna State Government also helped to douse tension in the area. The police chief assured that all perpetrators of the mayhem would be brought to book. “Anybody that has a hand in this crisis must face the full wrath of law, we will not allow lawlessness; we remain committed to saving lives and property of every citizens,” he said. He appealed to the public to continue to live in peace and assist the command with useful information to track the perpetrators. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that a similar crisis in February left more than 10 people dead and hundreds of shops and residences burnt. A total of 65 people alleged to have been involved in the February crisis were arraigned in court but the case is still pending.]]>