Discovery of farmer’s corpse sparks protest in two southern Kaduna towns

Discovery of a farmer’s corpse has sparked protest in two local government areas of Kaduna State; Kauru and Zangon Kataf.

This has led to the state government to imposed 24 hours curfew, Daily Trust gathered.

• Curfew extends to Kauru, Zangon Kataf LGAs – Commissioner
• KDSG condemns Kauru killings, says peace building efforts will continue

Security and local sources told Daily Trust that last week both Hausa and Kataf youths clashed at a farmland being claimed by the two parties.

During the clash, three youths sustained injuries and elders of the two communities intervened and agreed to resuscitate the aborted dialogue after the 1992 February and May riots of Zangon Kataf town.

But the immediate cause of last Thursday’s violence was the killing of  a farmer, Yusuf Musa, from Kauru but resident of Zangon Kataf where his father retired as a pastor.

The security source, who didn’t want to be mentioned, said late Musa was allegedly killed in a farm and the discovery of his corpse sparked the protest in villages surrounding Zango Urban and Bakin Kogi in nearby Kauru local government.

“Youths holding weapons blocked the link road leading to Zango town and up to Bakin Kogi, a development that led to hundreds of travelers trapped until the arrival of the Commissioner of Police, Umar Musa Muri and Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs to the area in company of security operatives,” he said.

He added that; “immediately, the officials started reaching out to critical stakeholders while appealing to the irate youths to sheath their swords.

“When the situation became tense, the delegation dismantled all the roadblocks and escorted several travelers out of the troubled zones,” he said.

The team diverted all travelers to Kaduna through Zonkwa while those from Saminaka axis were also diverted through Samaru-Zango road.

It was further gathered that the troops of the Nigerian Army on Operation Safe Haven outfit arrived the scene and further contained the situation.

“The deployment of Special Forces of the Nigerian Army, more troops of Operation Safe Haven by the Commander, Major General Chukwu Okonkwo who brought the troops helped immensely,” he said.

On Friday, the State Government in a statement issued by Commissioner, Internal Security and Home Affairs Samuel Aruwan, said it has extended the 24-hour curfew imposed on Thursday on the two chiefdoms in Kauru and Zangon Kataf local government areas.

The curfew will now cover the entirety of the two local government areas (Kauru and Zangon Kataf).

He said security agencies are working to contain the situation that started as a clash over a farmland.

Aruwan said extending the curfew was part of the necessary steps to manage the tensions and restore calm.