Violence: First Bank MD, others Stranded in Kaduna, Charter Private Jet …Engage Military Escort

Malik Yahya/

The Managing Director of First Bank, Mr Adesola Adeduntan, was among several dignitaries stuck in Kaduna following the imposition of 24-hour curfew on the city and its environs by the state government yesterday.

The dignitaries were reportedly in the state to attend the Kaduna Polo Tournament which ended yesterday.

NewsmakersNG exclusively learnt that many big shots were stranded following the indefinite suspension of operations in Kaduna by domestic airlines.

The dignitaries allegedly chartered private aircraft to escape from Kaduna early today, after they had managed to reach the airport with military escorts.

NewsmakersNG also learnt that scores of visitors besieged the Kaduna train station in a bid to catch a train scheduled to depart for Abuja at 2 pm, as a last resort to flee the city.

One of the visitors told NewsmakersNG that he managed to get to the train station by paying N8000 to engage military escorts.

He said the route to the train station was completely deserted save for security personnel.

Meanwhile, the National Youth Service Corps has announced the indefinite suspension of orientation course for Batch ‘C’ corps members posted to Kaduna State, due to security concerns.

In a notice shared on its social media platforms, NYSC said, the orientation course, which had earlier been scheduled to start on Tuesday, had to be suspended indefinitely due to the current security situation in the state as well as the curfew, that was imposed by the State Government.

NYSC urged corps members to remain at home until they are advised otherwise.

The Kaduna State government had imposed the 24-hour curfew 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 on Sunday, 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.

The tweet says 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.”

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr 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.

0