Religious Riot Erupts In Jigawa PDF Print E-mail
Written by Muh'd Zangina Kura, Dutse
Friday, 29 May 2009 02:58

A religious riot erupted yesterday in Sara town, Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State when some youths staged a demonstration over an alleged blasphemous publication against the personality of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

The incident, which happened in the early hours of the day, led to the burning down of a police station and a Toyota Hiace bus, while several people sustained various degrees of injury.

An eyewitness who spoke to LEADERSHIP on condition of anonymity narrated that the incident was sparked by a blasphemous publication against the prophet, which was circulated in the town.

He said the publication, whose source nobody knew, provoked the people of the town, who are 99% Muslim.

A non-Muslim man, who was also a non-indigene of the town, was accused of being behind the publication.

In his response to a discussion, he was said to have uttered some words which expressed his support for the publication. He was also alleged to have insulted the prophet.

The eyewitness further revealed that the utterances of this non-Muslim provoked the group and they thought he might have a hand in the publication. They chased him in an attempt to kill him.

When the man saw the group were after him, he was said to have rushed to the nearby police station where he sought protection.

As news of the incident spread, hundreds of youths staged a demonstration against the protection given to the man and demanded that the police hand him over to them.

Unknown to the demonstrators, the policemen had already whisked him out of the town. When the demonstrators learnt the police were not ready to bring out the person, they started stoning the police station.

As the number of the demonstrators overpowered the few policemen at the station, the men ran away from the station and the mob took it over.

The eyewitness further recounted that when the demonstrators failed to find the accused person, they set the station ablaze and also burnt down the bus owned by the Gwaram Local Government Area, which was parked in the premises.

He added that many people were injured in the pandemonium that ensued, but no life was lost.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP, the Chairman of Gwaram Local Government Area, Alhaji Bala Sule Kila, confirmed the incident, saying the situation had been brought under control.

He added that the council had summoned an emergency security meeting with all security agents attached to the local government, with a view to taking an action that would prevent the occurrence of such incident in future.

Kila added that according to the report available to him nobody was injured or life lost in the crisis. But he declined comment on the remote causes of the incident.

When LEADERSHIP contacted the police public relations officer of the state police command, he said the state commissioner of police had ordered that all press men should suspend publication on the crisis until they were addressed by the commissioner on the issue.

hausa vampire still on it!!

morons