Buhari Gives Approval Impose of Curfew in Parts of Kaduna

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, yesterday in Abuja said
President Muhammadu Buhari had given his support for the 24-hour curfew  imposed on three local government areas in the state  as well as other measures put in place by the state government to protect lives and property of the people.

Speaking with State House correspondents in Abuja yesterday after a closed-doors meeting with the president  which lasted for over an hour, el-Rufai said all hands were on deck to restore peace in the state.

The curfew was imposed on Zangon-Kataf, Kaura and Jema’a local government areas even as the state security council also endorsed ban on processions and unlawful assembly in any part of the state as parts of measures to forestall crisis.

El-Rufa had last Tuesday met hundreds of women and youths protesting against the killings in the southern part of the state allegedly by Fulani herdsmen.

The women, mostly half cladded, and the youths stormed the local government secretariat where the governor was holding a security meeting with the local government officials and traditional chiefs.

The women in their different submissions, had alleged that soldiers followed some of the youths in Garajere where sporadic gunfire were heard which resulted in the killing of one person while many other were injured

His convoy was said to have been pelted by the protesters.
The governor, who was hurrying out after the meeting, said: “I came to brief the president about the situation in Southern Kaduna, what happened in the last few days and outlined to him the measures we have been taking as state government with the support of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police and the Department of State Services (DSS).

“The president has given us unqualified support to stabilise the state and bring all those responsible for the violation of our laws to justice. So, we have the full support of the president to move on and we are quiet confident that things will return to normal very soon.”

On criticism trailing the state’s decision to extend the curfew to Christmas day, the governor said:, “Well, we have curfew even on Christmas day but it is for 12 hours. People will be able to get out in the morning at 6a.m. and be back at 6p.m., it is because of the security situation.

“I don’t think the state government should be blamed, those responsible for the violence that broke out in those parts of the state should be held responsible for that. We have not imposed curfew in other parts of the state, we had to impose curfew here because of the situation that was caused by irresponsible behaviour by certain people.”