EVEN with the heavy presence of soldiers on the streets of Jos, the Plateau State capital, the sectarian crisis which disrupted its peace at the weekend, is far from being over. Secret killings by religious fanatics, who have devised subtle means to beat the security network, are still commonplace.
In Nasarawa and Ali-Kazaure areas of Jos North local council, some killings took place yesterday.
The perpetrators took advantage of the areas' rough terrain to pounce on their unsuspecting victims in commando-like raids. The bandits came out en-mass to attack their victims and rushed back to prepared hide-outs.
The modus operandi has made the efforts of security men who patrol the streets in motorcades, to pale to insignificance as the terrain is inaccessible.
With both the federal and state governments evolving measures to douse tension, religious leaders have sued for peace and advised Christians and Moslems to see religion as a matter of one's freedom within the context of Nigeria's secularity. Unless this is done, there might be no end to sectarian crisis.
Besides religious leaders in Plateau State who urged their members to sheathe their swords, the founder of House On The Rock, Pastor Paul Adefarasin urged dialogue between adherents of the religions to end the pockets of religious crisis in Nigeria.
He stated that because Nigeria "is a secular state, people should be able to practise any religion of their choice freely without infringing on anybody's right."
On the volume of casualty in the crisis, the Police Commissioner, Mohammed Abubakar told The Guardian yesterday that he is more concerned with ensuring safety of lives and property, adding that "after all that, we can now sit down and talk about the casualty figures compiled."
The police public relations officer (PPRO) of the command, Assistant Superintendent Ali Yusuf, said it was too early to give figures of those who died because more bodies were still found in the streets. He added that it was only the Commissioner of Police that could give the figures of those slain in the sectarian crisis.
In some streets which The Guardian visited, about 250 burnt cars were seen.
The hoodlums took their destruction to the premises of vehicle dealers where they burnt those who display in garages on Bauchi Road.
In most part of the state capital yesterday, church services were not held as worshippers stayed at home for fear of being attacked by Moslems.
The streets remain deserted while shops are under lock. Even commercial vehicles kept away from the roads. Only a few people were seen on the roads.
All the police barracks in the metropolis have been turned into displaced persons' centres where people in the affected areas have trooped for safety.
Even the far away 3rd Armoured Division Barracks in Rukuba, is not spared. Most journalists in search of protection have turned the barracks to their abode. Some had however, attempted going back to their beats on Saturday following the deployment of soldiers to the streets to keep the peace.
After a state security meeting yesterday presided over by the Acting Governor Michael Botman and attended by Police Commissioner Abubakar, Christian and Moslem representatives spoke separately on radio and urged their members to sheathe the sword.
Rev. Emmanuel Nwaje, who represented the Christians described the crisis as unfortunate and urged all adherents to refrain from acts that could escalate the already tensed and charged atmosphere.
He appealed to them to remain calm and co-operate with the security agents to ensure the return of peace to the state.
For the Moslems, Alhaji Hassan Shuaibu, the secretary to the Jamatu Nasril Islam, urged them to lay down their arms and be law-abiding, stressing that no Moslem should involve himself in any unlawful act.
As a short-term measures to ensure the return of peace to Jos and Bukuru, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Ezeikiel Gomos, directed all the local council chiefs to monitor movement of people.
Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Governor Alhaji Adamu Muazu, in a special broadcast sympathised with the Plateau State Government over what he described as unfortunate situation that disrupted the peace of the state known for its friendliness.
He warned those making inciting statements in Bauchi to refrain from such because the state government will not allow anyone to take the law into his hand.
The governor said government "is ready to protect life and property of the people, and has put in place a security network to check any breakdown of law and order.
Besides extending the hours of the curfew from 4 p.m to 7 a.m, the Plateau State government has banned any form of public gathering.
Adefarasin, who spoke yesterday in Lagos at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the church's 9,000-seater auditorium in Lekki, called on both Christians and Moslems to be more tolerant of each other, as even God, the creator recognised man's right to a choice when in the Bible, he gave Adam and Eve the right to or not to eat the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden.
Speaking against the background of the Jos religious crisis, he stressed that "dialogue between Christians and Moslems within the context of the secularity of "our nations as citizens of Nigeria is the only antidote to religious intolerance in this country."
The cleric also called on the government to as a way of addressing the crisis, take a look at the issues that led to the crisis and address them with dispatch.