RIOTS IN KADUNA YET AGAIN

October 20th, 2004

BY: ANAYO UDE, ABUJA, FCT.

Riots broke out yesterday at Tundun Wada area of Kaduna following allegation of police killing of residents of the area. The development led to stampede in the town with the traders vacating the central market while shops and other business centers were shut as the riots escalated. An unconfirmed report said a police station was set ablaze.

The Kaduna State governor, Ahmed Makarfi, has, however, set up a probe panel to investigate the incident. THISDAY checks indicated that trouble started when a team of policemen alleged buried some 19 corpses in a mass grave at the Muslim cemetery, on Bachama Road, in the early hours of yesterday.

Residents in the area reportedly exhumed the corpses and allegedly identified a number of their kinsmen among them. They accused the police of massacre of the persons arrested following last week’s Labour organized strike to protest the increase in prices of petroleum products.

There was confusion on Ahmadu Bello way, the Kaduna central district, and environs, as news of the Tudun Wada unrest spread. Traders and passersby ran in different directions even as commuters and motorists abandoned their vehicles and ran for cover.

In a swift response, Governor Makarfi said in a special broadcast last night that the corpses given mass burial were armed robbery suspects who had engaged the police in a shootout. He announced the constitution of a panel to probe the Tudun Wada incident.

According to Makarfi, “government is of course aware that the police have been conducting several operations that include raids to flush out armed robbers from certain crime-prone areas and highways and in the process gun battles ensue claiming lives on both sides. This is not to say, however, that we have reached a conclusion on this matter.”

“Let me also seize this opportunity to sound a note of warning to commercial motorcyclists who resort to taking the law into their hands at the slightest provocation. This is totally unacceptable. We will therefore not hesitate to apply whatever measures, including banning their operations in any town or even the entire state if they cannot find a way of channeling their grievances through lawful means.”

Makarfi named Alhaji Usman Farouk as chairman of the commitee. The other members are Barrister Sani Aminu, Mr Danladi Nyam, Sheikh Zubairu Sirajo, Chukwura Simon and Alhaji Sule Bako. Also, the Kaduna State police command asked residents to go about their legitimate business and ignore what it described as “rumours” in the town.

A press statement by the police public relations officer (PPRO) ASP Saa’d Yahaya said, “the attention of the command has been drawn to a story making the rounds that the police … killed innocent persons and buried them hurriedly in Tudun Wada area of Kaduna.

“The command wishes to reiterate that the rumour currently being circulated is intended to instigate members of the public against the police thereby hampering our operations and causing chaos in the state. “There is no iota of truth in the story. The command in its day to day operations encounter armed bandits in gun battles some of which occasionally result in casualties on both the part of the police and the robbers.

“Furthermore, police do not engage in the burial of dead robbers. This is the sole responsibility of mortuary/local government personnel, which is done from time to time. The incident this morning may not be unconnected with such exercise”. Tudun Wada residents have since vowed to kill any policeman seen in the area. A visit to the area yesterday showed heavy presence of battle- ready soldiers and armoured tanks.

When the now suspended nationwide fuel strike began on October 11, the police had allegedly killed a 12-year-old school boy in the course of trying to disperse a group of rioters. They later arraigned 33 suspects before a Kaduna Chief Magistrate Court for their alleged roles during the strike. The suspects have since been granted bail pending and the case adjourned till next month. Kaduna has a bloody history of religious and communal riots.

Ends.

Entry Filed under: Local