[allAfrica.com]  [Africa_2003]


Nasarawa Crisis: Residents Flee Trouble Areas

Daily Trust (Abuja)
NEWS
May 12, 2003
Posted to the web May 12, 2003

By Suleiman Mohammed

Following the deployment of soldiers to quell violence that erupted in Toto
local government area of Nasarawa State during the state Houses of Assembly
election, residents have begun mass exodus out of identified trouble areas.
The political violence, which has so far led to the arrest of about 100
persons, erupted at Ukya village in Toto local government leading to the brutal
murder of the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Youth
Development, Mrs. Joyce Maimuna Katai and 10 others.
The commissioner was buried last Thursday at the family compound in Rafin
Kuname village, Toto local government, in an emotion-laden ceremony attended by
Governor Abdullahi Adamu and members of his cabinet, relations and friends of
the late Mrs. Katai.
Our correspondent who attempted to gain entrance into Toto town but was
prevented by soldiers at the weekend gathered that residents of Ukya village,
where the violence began have taken refuge in neighbouring villages.
Already, soldiers have taken over Toto town and Ukya village as they embarked
on house to house search for persons alleged to have influenced the crisis,
which also left both the Ukya police station and the residence of the deceased
commissioner burnt.
The soldiers, according to sources, have arrested over 100 persons suspected to
have connection with the crisis as Governor Adamu vowed to leave no stone
unturned in unravelling the genesis of the conflict.
Malam Jibrin Abdulsalam, who took refuge at Gadabuke, headquarters of the newly
created Gadabuke local government, told Daily Trust that the situation was
beyond imagination. "The soldiers are making it difficult even for the innocent
people. They force you to frog jump without committing any offence. The curfew
is 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. but before the time expires, they begin to deal with
people," he said.
According to Usman Balarabe, a Kwato by tribe, "the situation has transformed
from political conflict between supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) and the National Democratic Party (NDP) to a conflict between the Kwato
and Gbagyi speaking people."
The late Mrs. Joyce Katai was Gbagyi by tribe, and investigation revealed that
while the PDP fielded a Gbagyi speaking candidate, the NDP featured a Kwato
speaking candidate for the state House of Assembly election in Toto
constituency, a situation which made the exercise volatile in the area.
Daily Trust also learnt that prominent persons in Toto local government last
week visited Governor Abdullahi Adamu over the situation and blamed the crisis
on party hoodlums. "I don't think the Kwato people are happy over this
nefarious development that will only succeed in retarding progress in the
area," declared Alhaji Saka Aliyu who fled to Nasarawa town from the troubled
area.
Governor Abdullahi Adamu had at the burial of the late Mrs. Katai assured of
government's commitment to fishing out the culprits, and promised to release
N20 million for the resettlement of victims and renovation of both the burnt
police station and the late Mrs. Katai's residence.
The governor also promised that the Nasarawa State government would finance the
education of the late commissioner's children among other things, as he
described her death as a great loss to the state and the nation in general.
The crisis, sources hinted, began on the election day (May 3) when some party
supporters allegedly attempted to hijack a ballot box from a polling centre in
Ukya village while the late commissioner who was at the scene of the fracas
made effort to take custody of the box at a police station.
It was also alleged that the late Mrs. Katai ran into the police station with
the ballot box but the hoodlums chased her and pulled her out of the station
before she was killed. The station and her 504 saloon official car were later
set ablaze.

   

  =============================================================================
  Copyright © 2003 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica
                         Global Media (allAfrica.com).
  =============================================================================