Five persons were feared dead while scores of people sustained varying degrees of injury, following Monday’s unrest in Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Kasuwan Magani is 36 kilometres away from Kaduna metropolis and is the gateway to the southern part of the state, Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue states.
Worship places, houses, shops were said to have been torched during the incident.
The cause of the fracas could not be immediately ascertained as of the time of filing this report but it was learnt that Christians youths beat up their girls for dating Muslim boys.
It was gathered that the Muslim men would simply marry Christian girls and convert them to Islam while the Christians would not have access to the Muslim girls.
This development never sit well with the Christian boys who warned their girls against the practice. It later degenerated into a crisis.
The Christian youths, according to a source, “never take the act lightly and warned their girls and their would-be-suitors(Muslims) against the practice.
“The warning fell on deaf ears, a situation which forced the youths to react violently, leading to the clash between the Christians and the Muslims,” he added.
He noted that the prompt deployment of police operatives and soldiers averted what would have snowballed into a major religious crisis in the state.
Also, the Sole Administrator of the LG, Aminu Rabiu, said the disagreement between Muslim and Christian youths led to the loss of lives, property and peace in the area.
“We have already evacuated the injured persons to the hospital and they are responding to treatment,” he added.
The police had confirmed that there was tension in Kasuwan Magani, about 30 kilometres away from the city centre; but that the number of death could not be immediately ascertained.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Aliyu Mukhtar, said a detachment of police had been deployed in the area on the instructions of the state Commissioner of Police.
He added that no arrest had been made but noted that property damaged during the fracas had yet to be collated as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has condemned the attack and vowed to prosecute the perpetrators of the act.
El-Rufai, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, directed the prosecution of all persons responsible for the mayhem.
El-Rufai said security agents must investigate the unfortunate incident, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators.
The government, the statement added, had directed the State Emergency Management Agency to take inventory of damages buildings and provide relief materials for victims with immediate effect.
“Security forces have been deployed to contain the situation, protect lives and properties and to prevent any further breakdown of law and order.
“The government urges all citizens and communities to reject violence and division, and relate with their neighbours in peace and harmony,” it added.
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