Security officers get Shoot At Sight order to forestall further violence in Kaduna

In order to forestall further violence in Kaduna, the police and other security operatives have been given orders to shoot at sight any perpetrators of violence.

Five churches at various locations in Kaduna were attacked by suicide bombers early Sunday morning. The multiple bomb attacks left at least 34 people dead and more than 100 with various degrees of injuries.

Reprisal attacks by enraged Christian youths left several others dead.

Two senior police sources in Kaduna told SaharaReporters that more than 50 people have lost their lives in a spate of attacks and counter attacks by Muslims and Christians precipitated by bomb attacks at several churches in Kaduna and Zaria.

“The government wants us not to announce the real number of those killed, but I can assure you that more than fifty lives have been lost,” said one source. He added that hundreds of people had been wounded.

Another source added that people in most parts of the state were observing the curfew, but added that the level of tension remains “very high.”

Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State said it become imperative to declare a 24 hour curfew considering the need to avoid escalation of violence.

He threatened that security operatives would deal with those seeking to take the law into their hands.

The governor’s statement, released by his media aide, Reuben Buhari, condemned “the unfortunate bombing of three churches in Wusasa in Zaria Local Government, Sabon Gari LG and Trikania, Chikun Local Government, Kaduna State.”

In declaring a curfew, the statement added: “In view of the incidents and the need to have complete normalcy and to forestall further break down of law and order, the State Government has imposed a 24 hour curfew in the whole state. The curfew hours start with immediate effect until further notice.” The statement regretted any inconveniences caused to residents of the state by the “drastic measure.”

Even so, the governor defended his action as a step “to avert further loss of lives and property in the state.”

Mr. Yakowa’s statement pleaded with the residents of Kaduna State to “ignore various mischievous texts messages currently in circulation.”

SaharaReporters learnt that the text messages galvanized members of both Islamic and Christian faiths to do battle with “common enemies.”

[SaharaReporters]