The residents set fire on an APC billboard of President Buhari and the state governor Aminu Masari with the inscription ”The faces of fairness and champions of the masses.”

The angry residents also blocked the Kankara-Kastian road with tyres. Hundreds of motorists had to abandon the route to access Katsina town or Gusau in Zamfara State for ‎safety.

The protest comes a day after a health worker, Mansir Yusuf, and his daughter were kidnapped from the community. Last week, the district head of the area, Atiku Maidabino, was killed by unidentified gunmen at his palace. The residents decried the high level of insecurity, saying no day goes by without any reported attack on the community or its neighbouring villages.

The Secretary to the State Government Mustapha Inuwa who disclosed that Governor Aminu Masari imposed the lockdown in the local government, said it followed the announcement by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control that some persons in the area tested positive for Coronavirus.

The lockdown will be effective from 7:00 am on Sunday, May 10, 2020. Inuwa urged residents of the area to stay at home as security agents would be deployed to ensure total compliance in order to curtail the spread of virus in the state.

Out of the 34 Local Government Areas of the state, 12 LGAs, Daura, Dutsinma, Katsina, Mani, Safana, Kankia, Matazu, Musawa, Jibia, Batagarawa, Malumfashi and Ingawa are currently under lockdown.

In a statement released by the Secretary to the State Government Dr. Mustapha Inuwa, Imams were admonished to avoid prolonged sermons in order to discharge their followers within short period.

It is also expected that the state government will hold a smiliar meeting with Christian leaders, to lift the suspension of Sunday church services.

The statement reads in part “Following a meeting held today between the Katsina state government, religious leaders, traditional rulers, and security agents to review some measures taken by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the state. The Executive Governor has directed that the suspension of Friday prayers be lifted with immediate effect; however, the prayers will be conducted under some stipulated health and security guidelines.  The Jumu’ah Imams should, however, avoid prolonged sermons in order to discharge their followers within the shortest period. People are also strongly advised to maintain social distancing and adhere strictly to all the rules and regulations provided by the health experts in fighting the contagious disease.”