There is palpable tension in Sokoto State as rumours of protest over the recent killings of 16 hunters in Uromi, Edo State of Nigeria, by local hunters in the state.
The tragic incident, which occurred on Thursday last week has sparked fears of reprisals in parts of the North, leading to panic and shutdowns in some areas.
Our correspondent in the state who monitored the incident on Friday gathered that most business areas occupied by non-indigenes, especially the Igbos, are under lock .
Most shops in Igbo-dominated areas in the metropolis, such as Bello Way, Emir Yahya, Sahara, Aliyu Jodi, are under lock when our correspondent visited the place.
One of the shop owners, who simply identified himself as Chinedu, said the fear of attack forced him to lock up his shop to avoid being a victim of attack.
“We heard of the rumour of a possible protest and attack by some youths in the state after Friday prayer, and we decided to take precautionary measures.
“One should not wait till when something will happen before we arrange ourselves, so we decided to close our shop,” he said.
Also speaking on the closure, one Igbo man selling vehicle tyres in Sahara said fear of looters made his people close their shops immediately they heard of a possible attack.
The man who spoke on condition of anonymity said his people decided to be proactive to avoid losing their goods to looters.
“The last time they protested during late Deborah issue, they used the opportunity to attack and loot our goods, so we decided to be proactive this time,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Police Force, Sokoto State command, has reaffirmed its readiness to ensure the safety of lives and property of the people in the state.
The spokesman for the command, DSP Ahmed Rufai, while speaking with our correspondent, said the command has deployed its men to every part of the metropolis to maintain law and order in the state.
Our correspondent, however, gathered that there is no record of an attack as of the time of filing this report.
