Update: Curfew In Kaduna, Kano Over Violence As Jonathan Wins Presidential Poll.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 18, (THEWILL) – The protests which erupted in Kano and Kaduna States in Northern Nigeria following the victory of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in the Presidential election has led to the imposition of a 24-hour curfew in the states, according to THEWILL correspondents in the area.

Irate youths with sympathy for General Muhammadu Buhari, the CPC candidate that lost in the election had attacked residents and properties including cars of pro-Jonathan politicians in both states, torching the Zaria, Kaduna residence of Vice President Namadi Sambo.

Our Correspondent in Kano heard gunshots and saw billows of smoke in the air as rampaging youths set tyres and houses on fire.

Sources told THEWILL that two local government secretariats in Dala and Tarauni were razed. But we are unable to independently confirm this. What we can however confirm are as follows: a property belonging to the Governor of Jigawa state, Dr. Sule Lamido situated at Sharada quarters was totally razed; residences of former Speaker of House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Na’Abba situated at Sharada, and a portion of the Emir of Kano’s palace was razed; the residences of Galadiman Kano, Alhaji Tijjani Hashim and Yahaya Bagobiri were all torched by rioters; the PDP state secretariat in Kano was also razed.

Churches and Christians were also attacked according to reports from Kano.

There are also reports that youths forced open Zaria’s Central Prison and released inmates.

We are however unable to confirm the number of those killed in the protests so far but reports say they are many.

State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, who also contested in the Presidential race and lost issued the curfew order for Kano State.

THEWILL correspondent who has taken refuge at the Army Barracks in Kano reports that properties of private citizens are also being torched in Kano.

Security forces have been deployed to contain the violence.

In the same vein, there are also confirmed reports of riots in the outskirts of Abuja.

Yesterday there were pockets of riots in Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe and Borno by suspected supporters of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) following protests after a peaceful and fair election which showed voters voting along ethnic and religious lines.

The candidate of the CPC, General Muhammadu Buhari lost the election with more than 10m votes.

Atiku Condemns Post-Election Violence
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the incidents of post election violence in some parts of the country, saying it is not healthy for the sustenance of our democracy.

In a statement by the Atiku Media Office in Abuja yesterday, the former Vice President said that the resort to violence such as the burning down of houses and setting prisoners free is not acceptable in any democracy where people have the freedom of choice.

He said with existing legal avenues to handle post-election complaints, there is no reason whatsoever for anyone to take to violence under any guise.

According to him, any form of political violence that involves attacks on public institutions, including places of worship, is dangerous to the stability, unity and peaceful co-existence of Nigeria.

The former Vice President while noting that the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable, urged political leaders to call their supporters to order to refrain from the destruction to lives and property.

“Our peaceful co-existence as a people is not negotiable and anything that may infringe on the promotion of our collective good, unity and stability must not only be frowned on but avoided at all cost,” he said.

Atiku advised political leaders whose supporters are involved in violence to instantly dissociate themselves from these criminal conduct, which threatens the unity, stability and public peace of the nation.

He charged security services to act swiftly to get on top of the unfolding situation.

Some suspected bomb couriers detained by police in Kaduna on Sunday. (NAN).

Some vehicles burnt in Gombe on Sunday. (NAN).
Residence of PDP Chairman in Gombe. (NAN).