BARELY 28 days after the Kano ethno-religious strife, fresh sectarian violence in the commercial nerve centre of Adamawa State, Numan, on Tuesday claimed at least 100 lives.
Several more persons were said to have been injured even as thousands of people have fled the town which had been the scene of a seething strife between Muslims and Christians, mainly Bachama youths.
A concerned Gov. Boni Haruna, who visited the flashpoint yesterday, gave a shoot-on-sight order to security operatives on the ground just as a dusk to dawn curfew was imposed on the town.
On June 8 last year, similar violence between the groups led to the loss of several lives and destruction of property which worth was put at millions of naira.
Daily Champion gathered in Yola yesterday that the latest crisis started when Christian youths opposed to the reconstruction of the Numan mosque attacked workers at the mosque site.
Yola, the state capital was thrown into confusion, Tuesday night, as wounded victims from the clash arrived the Federal Medical Centre.
Several people reportedly fled to nearby police stations and the Army barracks in the state for safety following fear of possible spread of the conflict to other parts.
Security had, however, been beefed up at Numan and other areas prone to such conflicts in the state, according to the state Police Commissioner, Alhaji Hafiz Ringim.
In Jimeta, a major town in the state, the police increased regular patrol to avert possible spill over.
Tears flowed freely from members of Gov. Haruna's entourage when he visited Numan General Hospital where the mutilated bodies of victims were deposited even as the wounded were spotted writhing in agony.
Before going to the hospital, Gov. Haruna had paid a condolence visit to the Hamma Bachama, Sir Fredy Sodity Bongo where he commiserated with the royal father over the incident.
The Hamma Bachama, who indicted the police, said if preventive actions had been taken earlier, the situation would not have degenerated to the extent it did.
Governor Haruna, addressing newsmen after inspecting the scene of the clash, said he will go to any extent to ensure peace in Adamawa State.
I will go to any length to secure peace in the state. I will not spare anybody discovered to be responsible for violence in Adamawa. Even if I am discovered to be the person I will put my job on the line," he vowed.
Governor Haruna noted that unless he took such position, people will not appreciate his level of seriousness over the current crisis.
"I have always said it, that until you experience the bitterness of crisis, people will not appreciate the sweetness of peaceful co-existence," he added.
Numan had been reduced to a ghost town by the latest incident as thousands of residents were relocating elsewhere from the troubled enclave.
The young, elderly, children and students were fleeing the town.
Frantic security meetings were later organised between christian and muslim leaders to douse tension.
State Police Commissioner, Alhaji Ringim said arrests had been made, but could not disclose the number of persons so far nabbed on account of the incident.