Police impose ‘curfew’ in Zaria

The Divisional Police Office of Tudun Wada, Zaria is
presently imposing restriction of business activities
beginning from 10 o’clock in the night.
Residents of Tudun Wada and Tudun Jukun areas of
the city made this known to our correspondent on
Sunday, saying that the police usually storm these
areas in the early hours of the night and pick owners of
kiosks and other traders.
Relatives of those arrested Saturday night said the
traders were picked by the police at about 10:30 and
11pm.
Those arrested and presently in police custody in Tudun
Jukun area include Salisu Mai Balangu and his boy
Bello, Malam Umar Mai MTN, Salisu Mai Shago alias
No Case and his boy Jamilu and Awwal Mai Tsire.
One of the traders that escaped arrest said; “I was
about to close my shop at about 11pm when the police
accosted me. I asked why they were arresting me, but
they did not proffer any reason. I then begged them,
telling them that I have closed my shop already. That
was how I escaped.”
Malam Yunus Tahir, a community leader in Tudun
Jukun who is Deputy Chairman of the Jama’atu Izalatil
Bid’a Wa’iqamatis Sunna (JIBWIS), Zaria local
government described the police incessant arrest of
traders as an act of injustice.
“What usually surprises us is the fact that the police
would come and arrest our people early in the night, but
later in the night thieves would follow and terrorise our
people. Instead of arresting innocent traders early in the
night, why don’t they wait till late in the night to come
and stop thieves and other criminals from having a free
hand?
We are calling on the relevant authorities to save us
from this DPO,” Tahir said.
Kaduna state police command’s public relations officer
neither reply calls to his phone nor respond to text
message sent to him.
However, the spokesperson of the Kaduna state
governor, Samuel Aruwan, said the state security
council did not impose curfew or restriction of
movement in any part of Zaria.