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Thousands Flee Numan After Religious Violence Claims Many Lives

Daily Trust (Abuja)
NEWS
June 10, 2003
Posted to the web June 10, 2003

By Abdullahi Tasiu Abubakar and Mustapha Isah Kwaru

Thousands have fled Numan town in Adamawa State where a dusk to dawn curfew was
yesterday imposed following eruption of violence which claimed several lives
and caused the destruction of property including mosques and churches in the
area.
Announcing the curfew in Numan which is about 50 kilometres from Yola the
capital of Adamawa State, the state's deputy governor, Alhaji Bello Tukur said
it was imposed to restore peace and said it would extend from seven pm to six
in the morning.
Speaking at the palace of the Hama Bachama (the traditional ruler of Numan),
after inspecting some of the destroyed buildings, the deputy governor expressed
government's sadness over the incident.
The deputy governor who toured the affected areas with the commander of a
nearby army brigade, the state's police commissioner, the commandant of the air
force base, the secretary to the state government and some other government
functionaries, also announced government's plan to investigate the cause of the
violence.
The violence was said to have been sparked off when an argument over the price
of a jerry can of water between the water hawker (named as Muhammad Salisu, a
Muslim from Katsina State) and a lady evangelist whose name was given as Esther
Ethan resulted in the water hawker allegedly stabbing the lady evangelist to
death.
The water hawker was said to have found refuge in a police station and the mob
of irate neighbours who pursued him went on a rampage, burning houses, vehicles
and religious places including the Numan central mosque.
Our correspondent who went round Numan town yesterday reports that the central
mosque, a Living Faith church and the market behind the Hama Bachama's palace
and several other places of worship, vehicles, hotels and residential houses
were some of the places burnt down during the rampage.
The state's police commissioner, Alhaji Hafiz Abubakar Ringim confirmed that
only two persons died during the violence, but several people in Numan told
Daily Trust that as many as ten persons might have died.
At least three corpses were deposited at the mortuary of the Numan General
Hospital where several of those injured were receiving treatment.
Armed policemen were on patrol in the town guarding some strategic buildings
but thousands fled the town in commercial buses and on foot with their
children, many of who said they did not believe anybody could safeguard their
lives in the town.
The deputy governor however said that government had taken adequate measures to
restore peace and protect lives and property in the area.
The Hama Bachama, Saditi Bongo, on his part called on youths in the area to
remain calm and avoid any action that could further escalate the violence.
The Adamawa State governor, Mr. Boni Haruna who was at the State House Abuja
yesterday to see President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar
said the eruption of violence was unfortunate especially now that what the
state needed most was peace.
The governor said the crisis was triggered by a minor conflict between a water
hawker and a woman and added that the situation was being investigated by the
appropriate law enforcement agencies and gave assurances that the perpetrators
would be brought to justice.

   

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