Kaduna residents have joined their counterparts across the globe to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas.
But the Christmas celebration in Kaduna was marred by insecurity and the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Daily News 24 reports that significant towns, especially those in the city, are not bustling with activities.
Relaxation joints are like ghosts of themselves.
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One of the biggest solacebase for fun-type residents, Gamji gate in the heart of the city is under lock and cordoned off by security operatives who bar them from accessing the area.
The situation is the same at the popular ‘under the Mango tree’ joint along Ibrahim Yakowa way.
The joint in the past used to be a place for the people who visit from Karji, Kamazou, Refinery Junction and even Sabo.
For Linda Auta, a shop owner at the joint, the desertion has hit her business. She laments low patronage due to insecurity in her vicinity.
“People are more concern today about the security of their lives and families than catching fun with friends and loved ones.” She said.
At Angwan Gimbiya, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state, residents were seen migrating to safer locations after a kidnapping incident was recorded in the area on Christmas eve.
One of the residents, Mr Ishayku Kantiok, who was seen holding his bags, said he is leaving his property and moving out with his family because of the fear for their lives, saying they do not know when they will come back again.
” We don’t know when the kidnappers will come to the community again”, he exclaimed.
“We are tired of this recurring kidnapping all the time. Just recently, some people were kidnapped. So, I am leaving this vicinity with my family because we don’t know when the kidnappers will strike again”, he added.
Similarly, Kuregu in the Wusasa district of Zaria LGA, which bandits hit on Christmas day, is now looking ’empty’ as residents have migrated to the town and its environs for fear of the unknown.
Shops in the Wusasa area are under lock and key.
A trader who will not want his name on print stated that “it is only the living that does business, make we protect our lives first before we do business.”
More so, the ever-busy Ahmadu Bello way, especially the Central Market and some supermarkets that witness the inflow of customers that came in with their families for shopping, are seeing a reverse case.
The general population of Kaduna residents that spoke with this correspondents, that these two musters, insecurity and COVID-19 pandemic, affected earnings of many increasing the poverty level in the state.
The Christmas celebration is the worst-hit also due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the Authorities in Kaduna charged all and sundry to adhere strictly to the safety protocols.
The statement signed by the State Commissioner of Health, Dr Amina Muhammed Baloni, advised residents to wear a face mask, observe the physical distance, maintain good hygiene and avoid crowded places.
This warning was not taken lightly, as most residents obey the rules.
All things have been equal; the 2021 Christmas and New Year Celebrations will be counted amongst the low-keyed history of the crocodile city.
