Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, of Nasarawa State, some hours, after addressing the people of the state on the impending security situation, yesterday Sunday, personally took time visiting some churches to see things for himself.
The governor’s action, was necessitated by the peddling rumours of reprisal attack on Christians, by their Muslim counterparts, who are angry over last Friday’s quarrel between them and some mobile policemen.
Al-makura, in a state wide broadcast on Saturday, described the incident as unfortunate, saying, “Let me use this opportunity to passionately appeal to our Muslim Ummah to remain calm as government is doing everything possible to get to the root of the matter and bring the perpetrators to book.”
The governor who enjoined both Muslims and Christians, in the state to leave in peace and harmony also said, “God Almighty created us and made us adherents of different religions not so that we will be divided, but to leave as one people with one destiny.”
He then assured that, anyone found to be disrupting? the peaceful coexistence in the state, no matter how highly placed would be brought to book, promising?? that youth restiveness would soon be a thing of the past.
Our correspondent reported that sirens of both military and police patrol vehicles rented the air, with full military and police detachments, posted to various churches in Lafia to forestall breakdown of law and order.
It would be recalled that there was high tension in Lafia town, last Friday, over disagreement between some mobile policemen on transit and Muslim worshipers at the Massalacin Gabas ( Mosque), along Makurdi road, Lafia.