John Shiklam
Normalcy is gradually returning to the city of Kaduna as business and commercial activities resumed Tuesday following the review of the 24 hour curfew which had crippled economic and commercial activities in the state for the past one week.
But many residents stayed away from their offices and businesses for fear of the unknown.
The busy Ahmadu Bello Way, which is the centre of commercial activities, was scanty as most of the shops belonging to the Igbo were closed except for few petty traders and commercial buses that were seen scouting for patronage.
Some of those who came out merely sit in front of their shops which were half opened.
According to Mr. Oliver Onu, a curtain dealer along the Ahmadu Bello Way, many shop owners are still afraid of coming out because of what happened last Tuesday.
“You can see that nobody is opening his shop because we are not sure whether what happened on Tuesday last week will not repeat itself again.
“When the curfew was lifted on Tuesday, fighting broke out again and many people were killed, so we are being careful now. Some people did not come out today because of that”, Onu said.
Most of the shops at the Central Market were closed. Some of the traders who spoke to our correspondent said people were afraid of coming out to the market because they wanted to be sure that there would be no trouble when they come out.
“You don’t expect to see many people coming out today after what happened on Tuesday last week. They told us that they lifted curfew, then we came out and there was fight again. People are just being careful this time around” said Mallam Abubakar Ahmed a trader at the central market.
Also at the state secretariat located along the Independence Way, many offices were empty as most civil servants stayed away from their offices.
However, the banks were a beehive of activities with a long queue of people making frantic efforts to withdraw money at the various ATM machines.
The banking halls of the commercial banks were over crowded with customers who stormed the banks for one transaction or the other. Many of the customers however left disappointed as the banks closed for business by 1:30 pm as a result of the 4pm curfew.
Security is still very tied in the city as a combined team of armed soldiers and the police were seen patrolling while others were stationed at strategic places to ensure law and order.
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