After heavy criticism over his eerie silence, President Muhammadu Buhari has finally given instructions for decisive measures aimed at bringing an end to the recurring acts of violence and destruction in the southern part of Kaduna State.
Clashes between Fulani herdsmen and residents have left over 800 dead according to the Catholic Church.
The authorities dispute the figure.
Images of scores of people reportedly killed in the crisis which dates back to 2011 have gone viral on the internet.
“On the directive of President Buhari, the Inspector-General of Police was in the region on Saturday and Sunday to assess the situation at first hand,” a presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said in a statement on Thursday.
In addition to the conventional policemen deployed in the area, a squadron of mobile policemen has now been stationed there.
The Nigerian army is also in the process of setting up two battalions in Southern Kaduna while the military continues to carry out air surveillance across flash points of the area.
Buhari has equally directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to carry out a joint assessment of the situation with the sister agency in Kaduna, SEMA, to determine the level of response required for urgent aid to the victims of the violence.
“These measures should soon ensure the return of normalcy to the region, while the Kaduna State government continues its peace building efforts.
“The President commended efforts of the State government and the security agencies in the steps taken so far to curtail the violence.
“President Buhari has, once again, sent condolences to the people of Southern Kaduna, who have lost loved ones in the recent violence,” the statement concluded.
