24-hour curfew declared in Kafanchan

Authorities in Jema’a LGA of Kaduna State yesterday imposed a 24-hour curfew on Kafanchan town following clashes that erupted after some Fulani men were allegedly arrested with arms.

32 Fulani people travelling in a truck were arrested at Madakiya-Kafanchan junction around 10am by soldiers allegedly in possession of arms. Violence erupted later.

Chairman of the local government, Mr. Daniel Amos, said the curfew was imposed because violence erupted when residents were prevented by soldiers from to lynching the suspects.

“We declared the curfew to enable security operatives take firm control of the situation. The suspects were discovered to be in possession of dane-guns, knives, machetes, bows and arrows at a checkpoint where they were arrested”, he said.

The arrested suspects according to the chairman were taken to a military base in Kafanchan for further interrogation when a mob attempted to kill them. Soldiers fired warning shots to disperse the crowd. Two people were allegedly shot dead and one person was said to have sustained bullet wounds on the leg. A resident said the truck conveying the people was trailed to Kamanton-Kaduna road by a man who later alerted the soldiers.

Earlier, a youth leader in the area, Mr Yashim Bonnat said items recovered from the suspect s included 12 AK-47 riffles, 13 den guns, bag of ammunition, machetes, knives, and explosives. The military men displayed the arms and made the men to seat in front.

The chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) Alhaji Ahmadu Suleiman said those arrested were actually migrant families who were on their way to new settlements. He said the suspects were being questioned at a military unit in Kafanchan when a mob emerged and demanded to take them away and the soldiers refused. Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero called on people to remain calm and law abiding as government is doing all within its powers to sustain peace.