A tight security net has been thrown over Kaduna, Bauchi and Nasarawa states around Plateau State where riots were rampant over the weekend, claiming hundreds of lives.
Security forces are on alert in all the potential trouble states and cities in the North to forestall a spill-over of the Jos riots, according to local media reports on Monday.
Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua has given the marching orders to the Army and Air Force to restore normalcy in the strife-torn capital of Plateau State. Another contingent of soldiers was deployed in the state on Sunday.
The Police, the State Security Service (SSS) and relevant arms of the Army and Air Force are keeping 24-hour security surveillance in neighboring states over the Jos, Plateau State killings.
The University of Jos was closed on Sunday and the students were evicted from the campus, with the help of security patrol teams. Some students of the university were among the riot casualties.
Calm is however returning gradually to Jos. Many worshippers went to churches, most of which are under the watch of security personnel.
Most major streets in Jos are empty, as there are only private car owners who drove their family members to church. Many people trekked long distances to get to church.
Senate President David Mark, House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole and Action Congress (AC) deplored the crisis, demanding that the perpetrators be punished.
Bankole is expected to lead a delegation of the National Assembly members to Jos on Monday.
The Plateau State government has given the official death toll as 200, adding that more than 10,000 have been displaced in Jos North where the riot took place.
The Plateau government said it "regrets the casualties from the crisis," adding that a search-and-rescue team has been put in place "to provide relief to displaced persons."
Sources in Abuja, capital of Nigeria said the Presidency is worried that the crisis has assumed a religious slant and urgent steps have been taken to avert a spill-over in Northern states.
"The President is personally disturbed because he thought we had overcome our religious differences. The government has also reached out to key religious leaders, including the Sultan and Christian leaders in the NIREC to intervene," the sources said.
Religious leaders were making efforts to foster peace. The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) at the weekend fixed a meeting on the Jos crisis for Wednesday.
The Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar on Sunday urged security agencies to ensure that the crisis did not spread to other states.
A security source said "We have a mandate from the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces not to allow the situation to degenerate. We are doing our best to curtail the situation with minimal casualties. We do not want the deployment of troops to aggravate the tense situation."
No fewer than 140 armed soldiers were airlifted to Jos aboard a Nigerian Air Force Charlie jet with registration number NAF 913 on Sunday afternoon from the One Mechanised Division in Kaduna. The troops are expected to compliment the soldiers that were drafted to Jos from Kaduna on Saturday.
Source:Xinhua
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