In what could have degenerated to into ethnic crisis around the Kaduna-Jebba road, the Defence Headquarters, on Friday, averted a major disaster.
The Nigerian military, therefore, warned its citizens to shun acts capable of stoking ethno-religious tension in the country.
A statement issued by Acting Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, also said that the brewing crisis was hurriedly nip in the bud.
Gen. Nwachukwu’s statement read thus, “The Defence Headquarters has been notified of a video trending on social media indicating that trucks and other similar vehicles conveying agricultural products from the North, heading towards the southern part of the country were being ” and turned back along Kaduna – Jebba road by some unscrupulous elements.
“The Defence Headquarters wishes to clarify that following the tension generated by the incident, joint troops comprising the military and other security agencies were deployed to clear the Jebba – Kaduna road and have since restored normalcy in the general area. There is currently free flow of traffic along the axis.
“Members of the public, commuters and residents are pleased urged to go about their normal businesses. This is also to give a stern warning to any unscrupulous group or persons who are aiming at disrupting legitimate economic and commercial activities by preventing free flow of traffic and movement of goods in a bid to generate clashes along ethnic divides to desist from such unpatriotic acts or face the wrath of the law. Members of the public are also urged to promptly report anyone found engaged in such atrocious activities to security operatives.”