Kaduna Violence: Panic Spreads as Airlines Suspend Operations Indefinitely

Malik Yahya/

Airlines have cancelled all flights into and out of Kaduna airport following the violence that engulfed the city today in which several people have been reportedly killed.

NewsmakersNG learnt that two local airlines, Azman and Air Peace, have cancelled all their scheduled flights to and from Kaduna tomorrow indefinitely.

A stranded passenger told NewsmakersNG on phone that the airline he was meant to travel from Kaduna to Lagos on tomorrow morning sent him a notice of cancelation this evening without rescheduling the flight.

The Kaduna State government today imposed a 24-hour curfew on Kaduna metropolis and its environs due to the violence which started in Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru Local Government area, where a market dispute between porters led to the killing of 55 people and the burning of many homes, between 18 and 19 October.

Some residents told NewsmakersNG that the violence had spread to some parts of Kaduna metropolis today, prompting the imposition of the curfew by the government.

They listed some of the affected areas to include Sabo, Kakori and Kachina road, all in central Kaduna.

They claimed the violence had already claimed many lives, especially among christians, before the announcement of the curfew.

The notice of the curfew was announced by Governor Nasir El-Rufai in a Twitter post this evening.

The tweet said the decision was taken in the best interest of the state and urged residents to comply.

The tweet by the governor reads: “This is a notice of a 24-hour curfew imposed on Kaduna town and environs, with immediate effect. Residents are advised to comply by this directive. The decision has been taken in the best interest of the state.”

Also, to put an end to this crisis, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has deployed the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 7 Headquarters in charge of Kaduna State, Niger State and the FCT to lead the Police Special Intervention Force.

The force comprises four Units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) specially trained Anti Riot Policemen, Counter Terrorism Unit, Conventional Policemen, Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad (FSARS), Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU), State Intelligence Bureau (SIB), detachment of EOD, Police K9 (Sniffer Dogs Section), already on ground at Kasuwan Magani, Kajuru, Kaduna State.

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