Fire Guts Islamic Bodys Secretariat In Kaduna, As Youths Protest

A RAVAGING fire on Thursday night gutted the secretariat of an apex Islamic body, Jamaatu Nasril Islam (JNI) in Kaduna, prompting several youths in the city to go on rampage.The youths, who protested the inferno that destroyed the conference hall of JNI, alleged that the incident was politically motivated.However, it took the prompt intervention of the state government security outfit, Operation Yaki, to calm frayed nerves and prevent crisis.They used teargas to disperse the irate youths, who had already taken to the streets and blocked the major highway leading to the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) and Kawo, smashing vehicles in the process.But the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Islamic body, Alhaji Umar Zaria Ahmed, disclosed that said the fire started from the main hall of the multi-million-naira building as a result of what he suspected to be an electrical fault and completely razed the main conference hall of the secretariat.Men of the state fire service brought the situation under control before the fire could spread into the entire building.The irate youths, who were protesting the incident, initially barred the fire service from entering into the premises, but the arrival of the security outfit saved the situation.Some commuters plying the road within the vicinity of the incident escaped with minor injuries.The Coordinator of Operation Yaki, Col. Gabriel Mamman (rtd), who said on being alerted, his men were quickly drafted to the scene to ensure that hoodlums, who tried to take advantage of the inferno, were immediately dislodged.Also, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Aminu Lawan, said the area was cordoned off by the police to prevent intruders from gaining access to the scene of the incident.He added that the police have already begun investigation into the incident.Meanwhile, Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa has expressed shock over the incident and called for calm among the Moslem faithful within and outside the state, assuring that there was no external influence in the incident.The governor commiserated with the Sultan of Sokoto and the entire leadership of Northern Moslems, while pledging assistance of the state government towards rebuilding the edifice. 
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