Boko Haram: Politicians Flee Kaduna for Abuja

 
Security was beefed up in Kaduna metropolis Friday over fears of a likely attack by members of the muslim sect, Boko Haram.

Armed policemen and other security agencies paraded all the major roads and areas identified as potential flash points within the metropolis.

Also at last Friday's Jummat prayers, armed security agents positioned their vehicles and conducted thorough search on worshippers before allowing them to go inside the mosques for prayers.

NEXT confirmed that majority of politicians and wealthy businessmen living in the city boycotted the Friday prayers because of the fear that they are objects of target of the Boko Haram sect.

The usual traffic at the Sultan Bello Mosque Ungwar Sariki was not there on Friday due to the low turnout of worshippers. It was also the same at the Kano Road Mosque and others within the metropolis.

This fear is coming as the sect denied the report that some of their members were arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) last week.

The group described the news of the arrest as 'tissues of lies' coming from the Nigerian government through the SSS.

“None of our commanders, as alleged by the SSS, were arrested. All our loyal commanders are at their respective positions and at work as at thisn moment.

“The SSS should release all innocent citizens they have arrested and have been parading as our members. They are not our members, including the lawmaker from the Kaduna State House of Assembly who was wrongly arrested and alleged to be our member and financier,” the group said.

Apparently worried by the incessant bomb attacks and threats to politicians, most Abuja-based politicians and those in the state who used to spend their weekends in Kaduna have opted to stay back in Abuja rather than risk their lives coming to a state which one of them, Umar Abdullahi, described as 'danger zone'.

The usual night live in the capital city has disappeared, since most of those who patronise the night clubs have deserted the state, coupled with the curfew imposed on the state, which starts from 11pm.

The police have also resumed stop-and-search operations along the major streets and the government house. At the government house, officials of the SSS and anti-bomb unit of the police now use metallic devices to screen cars coming inside.

Though the curfew starts from 11pm, NEXT findings reveal that people now rush to their homes as early as 6pm.