Buhari Approves Christmas Day Curfew In Kaduna

- Christians in Kaduna will have a low-key Christmas celebrations as the state government has been backed on decision to impose a curfew in some areas

- El-Rufai says the move is to help protect the state from attacks its southern parts where there have been killings recently

President Buhari has told Kaduna governor El Rufai that he can go ahead with his Christmas Day curfew.
President Muhammadu Buhari has supproted the move by Kaduna state governor Nasir El-Rufai to place a curfew on the northern state during Christmas Day celebrations.

New Telegraph reports that the president confirmed his support when El-Rufai visited the presidential villa in Abuja on Thursday, December 22.

El-Rufai confirmed the president’s backing while speaking with state house correspondents after the meeting.

He said:

I came to brief the President about the situation in Southern Kaduna; what happened in the last few days, and outlined to him the measures we have been taking as a state government with the support of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police and the Department of State Security.
The President has given us unqualified support to stabilize the state and bring all those responsible for the violation of our laws to justice.
So, we have the full support of the President to move on and we are quite confident that things will return to normal very soon.
Recall that Kaduna state on Wednesday, December 21 imposed a 24-hour curfew on three local government areas namely Zangon-Kataf, Kaura and Jema’a as a measure to protect lives and properties in southern part of the state.

Also, the Kaduna State Security Council placed a ban on processions and unlawful assembly in any parts of the state.

El-Rufai confirmed the development to state house correspondents thus:

Well, we have curfew even on Christmas day but it is for 12 hours. People will be able to get out in the morning at 6am and be back at 6pm. It is because of the security situation.
I don’t think the state government should be blamed. Those responsible for the violence that broke out in those parts of the state should be held responsible for that.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has warned the public to be weary of some Boko Haram terrorist who could be fleeing from the northeast to other parts of the country to escape military operation in Sambisa forest.