At least five persons were killed while several buildings that included a mosque and a church were set on fire by irate youths in Makama New Extension of the Federal Low Cost area of Bauchi metropolis, following a religious crisis that engulfed the area at the early hours of Saturday.

Our correspondent gathered that the crisis started to manifest two weeks ago when a vehicle broke down along Railway Road, necessitating vehicles and pedestrians to pass near the premises of Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN), situated along the road. The church is about 50 meters from a Juma'at mosque, Masjidul Quran mosque, also situated on the same road.

A resident of the area who pleaded for anonymity told our correspondent that when thevehicle broke down, both vehicular and pedestrian traffic shifted to a route that passes near the premises of COCIN, while worshippers in the Juma'at mosque since last two Fridays were compelled to park their vehicles near the premises of the Church.

"However, some youths blocked the route and denied others passage, threatening not allow anybody to park his vehicle there. The information got round and, last Friday, there was an unprecedented turnout of worshippers in the mosque. The worshippers not only had to park in the church premises, but even had their congregation extended there."

The resident claimed that some youths had last Friday protested over what they saw as the Muslims 'encroachment' on their place of worship and tried to block the route, but that security personnel were called in and stationed there to quell the crisis. The police did not leave the area until late that evening.

"We thought the matter had died down but when we woke up for the early morning prayers, the mosque in front of Idi Azare's House was on fire, and from there things got uncontrollable. It really sad."

The state police command did not issue any statement on the crisis as at the time of going to press, but Sunday Trust learnt that the state commissioner of police, Mr Adanaya Talman Gaya, said his men were going round the area to assess the situation.

However, the state secretary of the Red Cross, Adamu Abubakar, confirmed the death of five people, saying some had matchet wounds while others had gunshot wounds, while those injured were 35. He said some people were taking refuge at the army and police barracks, and in some religious places.

The state governor, Malam Isa Yuguda, in a state broadcast on Saturday, described the development as unfortunate, saying it was politically-motivated to serve the selfish interest of his detractors.

"The development has nothing to do with religion, but politically-motivated to achieve selfish interest. Let me reiterate the irrevocable commitment of the Bauchi state government to the sustenance of the hard-earned peace in the state."

The governor warned those he termed as mischief-makers and their collaborators to desist from their nefarious activities or face the full wrath of the law, saying security operatives had been directed to deal ruthlessly with the perpetrators and their accomplices, no matter how highly placed they were.

In their separate appeals to adherents of the two religions, the Chief Imam of Bauchi Central Mosque, Bala Ahmed Baban Inna and the state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Musa M Tula, called for calm and peaceful coexistence between adherents of the two religions, stressing that none of the two religions preached violence but peace.

Our correspondent, who reports that the situation has been brought under control as it did not escalate to other parts of the state capital or state, said, however, that business activities were almost paralyzed as most shops closed on Saturday, with few vehicular and human movements.

President Umaru Musa Yar'adua yesterday deployed soldiers to Bauchi State. The president, who spoke through his Special Adviser, Media and Communications, Olusegun Adeniyi in Abuja yesterday, explained that the Federal Government had to move in to contain the crisis and avert further loss of lives and property.

The president said he was briefed of the situation and declared also that the situation was contained, as the soldiers were deployed to the state to complement the effort of other security agencies working in the state.

"The presence of soldiers in Bauchi was to complement the state security in keeping the peace. That is why the soldiers were moved in," the president declared.

The president also ordered the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division, Jos, Plateau State to relocate to Bauchi. "The GOC 3 Division, Jos is also commanded to relocate to Bauchi," the statement added.

While calling on Nigerians to be religious tolerant, the president stated that he was satisfied with the way the situation was handled.

Meanwhile, a dusk-to-dawn curfew has been imposed on the affected areas of Dutsin Tanshi, Railway and Federal Low Cost areas of the state, while some have already taken refuge at safer areas within the state capital, including the state police headquarters.

Emmanuel Nwerem, a resident of Railway Quarters, who is now taking refuge in Bayan Gari area and who claimed he had his shop burnt in the crisis, called on government to take proactive measures to nib the situation in the bud, rather than allowing preventable crisis to cause so much havoc.

Meanwhile, palpable fear has enveloped Jos, the Plateau state capital, following the outbreak of hostilities in neighbouring Bauchi state. Jos and its environments are yet to recover from the November 28 mayhem in parts of Jos-North local government area of the state.

Our correspondent gathered that some of the residents of Plateau villages, bordering Bauchi, have started to move towards the city centre.

State Police Commissioner, Mr. Greg Anating, at a press briefing in Jos allayed the fears of the citizens over the matter.

He said that the security agents will ensure that there is no backlash of the crisis in Jos.