One of the Kaduna based journalists Jacob Onjewu has been remanded in prison custody over a story that the governor was pelted with objects and booed in Angwan Gado a suburb of Malali axis in Kaduna North-local government area of the state where a communal clash was said to have broke out earlier in the week.
Information available is that Jacob was on Friday arraigned in Court, in Kaduna Magistrate Court 1 where a secret trial was conducted and the judge ordered that he be remanded in prison custody.
It was alleged that the story about the assault on the governor was traced to Jacob and was capable of inciting the youths and creating unrest in the state.
It would be recalled that, an online media reported that, Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai was said to have been stoned and bullied by angry youths in Ungwan Gado Community, a suburb within Kaduna metropolis, earlier this week.
Jacob Onjewu was invited by the State Police command over a story an online news medium www.autthenticnewsdaily broke that the governor was pelted with objects and booed in Angwan Gado a suburb of Malali axis in Kaduna North-local government area of the state where a communal clash was said to have broke out earlier in the week.
The online medium was believed to be managed by Mr. Dickson, but one PHILIBUS DAUDA wrote the said story and the story went viral.
It was gathered that the Kaduna State governor Mallam Nasiru El’Rufai went to the community to broker peace between the said community and a neighbouring community, resulting from the gruesome murder of a teenager, a day before his visit around 9pm.
An eyewitness informed that the governor on arriving the area, was pelted with objects, accompanied by chants of ‘ba mu so’ when translated from Hausa, means ‘we don’t want you’ chorused by the angry youths.
It was gathered that trouble in the communities all located within Malali axis in Kaduna, broke out when youths suspected to be under the influence of drugs stabbed a teenager to death at a public gathering they all attended.
It is still unclear if the youth that was murdered was a Muslim or Christian, but as it stands, the crisis is beginning to take a religious colouration.
Efforts to reach El-Rufai’s spokesman, Samuel Aruwan and the Police Public Relations Officer, Kaduna State, Zubairu Abubakar to respond to the development proved abortive, as calls put to them were not picked. Text message sent to them on the development was also not responded to as at the time of filing this report.
As at the time of this report, tension is still high in the affected communities, with fears that reprisals may take place in other parts of Kaduna.
It was observed that Hausa traders who usually thronged the Yam Market located in Sabon Tasha, a 100 per cent Christian community were completely absent from there on Tuesday night as rumours of the crisis spread throughout Kaduna City.