Yakubu Musa
14 October 2001
Kano — Churches, Mosques, Media Houses burnt, Soldiers drafted
What started as a peaceful demonstration on Friday by some moslem faithfuls in the ancient city of Kano, against US continued bombardment of major targets in Afghanistan, turned violent yesterday, claiming many lives and properties.
While the American Cable Network News (CNN) put the number of people consumed by the violence at 16, local reports, including the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), claimed that the number was eight.
According to the CNN report, among those killed were six girls who were on their way to write the on-going West African Examination Council (WAEC) examination.
In addition to the number of the dead, five churches and two mosques have been reported razed down. Also, media houses that have their state and regional offices on Galadima street have been set ablaze by the irate demonstrators.
The media houses torched in the violence include, Tell magazine, Vanguard Newspaper, Concord and The Source magazine.
The private house of the country's Foreign Affairs Minister, Alhaji Sule Lamido, was also burnt by the demonstrators.
When THISDAY contacted the Abuja residence of the minister, one of his aides who could not confirm the burning of the minister's house in Kano, however, said the minister is currently out of the country on official trip.
Meanwhile, soldiers, Airforce and mobile police have been drafted to keep the peace. THISDAY gathered that the security operatives have been ordered to shoot at sight, anybody found to be participating in the violence.
Also as part of measures to bring the situation under normalcy, the Kano State government has imposed a dusk to dawn curfew on the city. The curfew is to start from 7p.m to 6p.m.
In a statement last night, the state governor, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, said "in view of the crisis that engulfed the state since Friday it has been declared that no movement as from 7p.m to 6a.m".
The governor warned that anybody caught violating the order would be dealt with ruthlessly.
Kwankwaso appealed to the people of the state to be calm and law abiding, saying that the government would not take it lightly with anybody caught in unleashing violence.
Equally, the state police commissioner, Alhaji Bello Uba Yakubu described the riot as an act of "armed robbery" by a gang of hoodlums.
"Anybody caught would be charged to court for committing robbery and will ruthlessly be dealt with," he said.
As early as 8.30 a.m of yesterday hoodlums blocked all the major entry of the city, making bonfire at different locations while many shops were vanvalised and valuable property were looted by the hoodlums, who were armed with dangerous weapons.
The Friday demonstration, which started as a peaceful one, however degenerated into uncontrollable violence. As at Friday, three vehicles, including a police van conveying some of the anti-riot policemen deployed to quell the disturbance had been set ablaze by some sections of the demonstrators and were still burning.
Many people were also seen closing shops at Sabon Garin market, apparently to return home. Anti riot mobile policemen were also seen moving around trying to control the situation.
Eye witness said that the protest which started Friday and aimed at condemning the actions of the US against the Afghans was by yesterday turned against non-muslims and non-indigenes, as their properties and lives became targets of the muslim protesters.
Shortly after the observation of Muslim jumat prayer around 3 p.m., a rally was staged in front of the palace of the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero.
The demonstration organised under the umbrella of the Nigerian Youths Muslim Congress, Kano State branch was observed with burning of the flags of the US and those of its allies.
The Protesters who turned out in their thousands chanting kalimatu-shasaba (i.e. there is no god but Allah) carried placards with inscriptions like: "May God Destroy America," "Americans are terrorists," " America must be destroyed" etc.
The demonstrators who were also chanting "we will answer your call, Osama", accused Jews of masterminding the September 11 attack on the US.
"How come 4,000 Jews working in the World Trade Centre (WTC) did not show up for work on the day of bombing?" they queried.
"It is surprising that the bulk of that community sold their stock shortly before the attack and while the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Ariel Sharon cancelled his visit to US slated for September 10, which was just a day to the bombing for security reasons," they noted.
Many clerics, including the chairman of the influential Kano State Chairman of the Ulama, Alhaji Ibrahim Kabo, were in attendance.
However, one of the vehicles (a bus) set ablaze by the demonstrators belonged to PDP, was said to have been burnt because of what protestants called Lamido's grievous sins.
Since last week when the Minister explained the Federal Government condemnation of the attack of America and the backing given to the reappraisal attack on Afghanistan, anti-Lamido sentiment is fast growing in Kano and Jigawa as well as other Muslim dominated Northern States.
At the Friday's rally, the minister's portraits were not only burnt, but his name was cursed. And many people pointed out that his political career was at the brink of death.
As the violence continued yesterday, however, non-muslims and non-indigenes who had become the targets of the violence were also bracing up said to fight back.
Meanwhile, miscreants are reported to have cashed on the situation to embark on some free-for-all looting of shops, belonging mainly to non-indigenes.
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