From Saka Bolaji, Minna
Hell was let loose on Sunday in Kafin Koro, Paikoro local government area of Niger state when youths in the area, numbering over 200, went on rampage violently protesting the killing of over 300 pigs belonging to women in the community.
Trouble started when a pig was alleged to have exhumed a body of a five year boy from a Muslim burial ground and ate it, leaving only the head.
The District Head allegedly ordered that any pig sighted in the village be killed. Armed with this instruction from the district head, the Muslim youths went from house to house, chased the women away and killed over 200 of their pigs in retaliation.
The women, numbering well over 300 and whose husband were said to be in the farm when the Muslim youths invaded their piggeries, mobilized themselves and packed the dead pigs and dumped them in the palace of the district head when they discovered that the boys acted on the instruction of the district head.
The women however decided to occupy the palace until midnight Saturday when anti-riot policemen from the state police command came and disperse them before the body of the dead pigs were removed from the palace.
But on Sunday morning, some other youths from the village believed to be the children of women whose pigs were killed went hay wire, destroying every propery belonging to those suspected to have masterminded the killing of the pigs.
Though no life was lost as at the time of filing this report, hundreds of people were injured and properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed.
This prompted the visit by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Ketso, accompanied by the local government chairman, John Makarfi to area to calm the situation. But shortly after he left, the youths took to the street again, this time around chanting war song and threatening to kill all those suspected to have had hand in the killing of the animals.
The Senator representing Niger East senatorial zone, David Umaru, who was on his way to the village was forced to make a U-turn back to Minna due to the escalating of the crisis.
All the major roads leading to the town were blocked by the rampaging youths despite the presence of anti-riot policemen deployed to the area.
All efforts to reach the Police Public Relation Officer of the command, DSP Bala Elkana, proved abortive as he did not pick his calls.
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