The Cross River State police command has
deployed a team of anti-riot police men to Bogobiri, an area in Calabar
populated by northerners, mainly Hausa Fulani. An armoured tank has
been stationed in the area.
Another team of policemen has also been
dispatched to Nasarawa Bacoco which is about 14 kilometers from
Bogobiri. The policemen are expected to ensure that no harm is done to
residents of the areas. Bacoco is a cattle market community, where
pastoral traders from the North unload their trucks of cows and goats
for sale.
Report of protests in some states in
the North has generated panic among the residents from the North, as
they fear reprisal attacks if the attack on churches and Christians in
the North continued.
Though Calabar is always aloof when it
comes to ethnic-religious clashes in the country, northerners in the
city are not taking chances as they fear the unknown considering
conflicting reports from the North on the extent of destruction and
number of people killed.
Fear grips northern residents
Previous riots in the north against
Christians had no repercussion on Moslems in Calabar, a situation which
over the years has been pushing Hausa and Fulani business men and cattle
farmers residing in nearby states like Akwa Ibom and Abia to Cross
River State for solace.
But when news of the current violent
protest in the North broke out yesterday, the atmosphere in Bogobiri and
Nasarawa Bacoco changed to that of anxiety as residents were seen
gathered in groups discussing in hushed tones the protest back home and
whether it has spread to any state in the South and if the uprising
would get to Calabar.
At Bogobiri, all the Hausa people seen
were glued to their radio sets listening to either BBC Hausa Service or
Radio Nigeria Kaduna Hausa Service for up date on the clashes. None was
ready to speak on the situation including Sariki Lawal, leader of Hausa
community in Calabar when approached by NEXT. Consequently, the groups
have been finding it difficult to venture out of their domain. Whenever
they do, they do so in groups and not far into the city centre for fear
of the unknown.
