Yakowa relaxes curfew

Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna State has relaxed the 24 hour curfew imposed on the state, following the violent riots that trailed the bombing of churches in Zaria and Kaduna on Sunday. Yakowa, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Reuben Buhari, said people could go out from 2.pm to 6.pm yesterday.'With effect from today, Monday June 18, people of Kaduna State can move freely from 2pm to 6pm. Subsequently, the curfew will be from 6pm to 6am. People are requested to remain calm, law abiding and cooperate with security agencies,' he said.However, our correspondent who went round parts of the state metropolis observed that only a few people came out of their homes. He also observed that most of the shops on the popular Ahmadu Bello way in the heart of the city were under lock and key. Only food stuff markets like the popular Station market and the Bakin Dogo market opened. At round-about, policemen were seen mounting surveillance while vehicles carrying soldiers and mobile policemen were seen patrolling the metropolis.Also yesterday, Yakowa urged people of the state to continue to live in peace with one another as governments at all levels are trying to identify those behind the recurrent bombings in the country. Yakowa made the call when he visited the Wusasa ECWA Church that was bombed on Sunday.Addressing the gathering of church members and community leaders, Yakowa said government is doing everything possible to bring the recurrent bombings to an end, urging the victims of the bomb blasts and their relatives to consider what happened to them as an act of destiny.The governor urged the people to stop blaming such attacks on a particular religion or people, saying the attacks were masterminded by 'criminal elements' who are not representing any religion.After leaving Wusasa, Yakowa visited the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika, Zaria, where he was taken round by the hospital's Chief Medical Director, Dr Lawal Khalid. The governor also visited the Christ the King Catholic Church, one of the bombed churches, in Sabon Gari, Zaria. He was received by the parish priest, Father Henry Atuma.At the church, Yakowa promised to assist those who lost their loved ones as well as those receiving treatment in various hospitals. He also promised to assist in rehabilitating the church.
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