Kano residents were on Sunday left in shock following the absence of personnel of the Kano Road and Traffic Agency (KAROTA) on the streets.
Chronicle reports that since its establishment in 2012, KAROTA personnel have never been off Kano streets for a day until last Sunday, 21st of June, 2020 after a reported clash with some youths along the Ibrahim Taiwo road in the state capital.
It was gathered that the clash ensued when KAROTA personnel enforcing a ban on motorcycle operators attacked someone suspected to be a security operative, breaking his limb in the process.
This development generated a lot of reactions on social media as residents of the commercial city tried to fathom the rationale behind the absence of the agency’s ever-busy personnel at their usual duty posts for the entire day.
Our correspondent gathered that the agency had to withdraw its personnel because of rumours making rounds in the capital city that after the clash with the youths and resultant injury to some persons, there were alleged threats of attack against KAROTA personnel.
‘We withdrew over threat of attack’
The Managing Director of KAROTA, Bappa Babba Dan’Agundi, said the withdrawal of the ubiquitous personnel of the agency was not due to any disagreement with any personnel of any sister security agency.
He attributed the withdrawal from the streets of Kano to security reports of a planned attack on the agency’s headquarters as well as on men of the agency by unknown gunmen.
According to him, based on the report, the agency was advised to keep off the streets and security personnel were deployed to the agency’s headquarters for more protection.
He said the report of an attack by some KAROTA personnel on a citizen that resulted in injuries was true, adding that the management of the agency is in full support of the actions taken by the police against the said personnel.
‘We have no report of planned attack on KAROTA’
Meanwhile, the police command in Kano has debunked reports of a planned attack by some unidentified gunmen on the personnel and headquarters of the traffic agency.
The command’s spokesman, DSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, told Chronicle that no report of any planned attack was received by the command.
He urged the people to disregard the information and go about their normal businesses as the command evolves strategies to protect lives and property.
