Fresh Plot to Foment Trouble in Kaduna Uncovered

Kaduna, Nigeria - Governor Ahmed Moha-mmed Makarfi of Kaduna State, said yesterday that government had uncovered a plot by unidentified persons to cause fresh religious upheavals in the state.

He said during an emergency meeting with heads of educational institution in the state and security agencies that preliminary reports from the security agencies traced certain inciting documents circulating in Kaduna, to Abuja.

He said that the Federal Government had equally waded into the matter, through the Director-General of the State Security Services (SSS).

Makarfi explained that those behind the plot had penetrated secondary schools and tertiary institutions in the state, to use students to disrupt peace.

According to Makarfi, "some people believe that students are gullible, that is why they go now to incite religious crisis in secondary schools and tertiary institutions, by distributing inciting documents.

"They do not mean well and they do not want to see us living in peace. So far, we have traced some of those documents to Abuja. Efforts are being made to identify those responsible".

He asked school principals and heads of other institutions to design mechanisms in order to apprehend suspicious elements in their schools.

The governor announced a ban on "peaceful protests" by students for whatever reasons, saying that such demonstrations could degenerate into violence.

He said government would in June 2005, organise a week- long education summit because, "I am not satisfied with the state of education in spite of huge investment in it. We will also organise another summit on water resources management and agriculture."