LAGOS, Dec.6 (Xinhua) -- Tension and fear gripped Minna and Kontagora towns in Nigeria's Niger state on Friday over the news of possible reprisal of last week's Jos riot, in which 300 people lost their lives and property worth millions of naira were destroyed.

    Police armored tanks and lorry loads of armed mobile and conventional police were seen manning strategic points of the two towns as early as 6:30 a.m. (0430 GMT), while mobile policemen in vans patrolled the major streets in the towns, the Nation reported on Saturday.

    A security report had revealed that a group of miscreants had planned to cause unrest in the two towns in the afternoon.

    According to the report, the group was not happy about the Jos riot and planned to retaliate in Niger state. The move by this group coincided with a purported plan by some commercial motorcycle riders in Minna, the state capital, to stage a protest over the restriction of movement of the cyclists from 7:00 p.m. (1700 GMT) to 6:00 a.m. (0400 GMT) by the government since Friday.

    On the strength of two threats to peace of the state, Governor Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu directed the state commissioner of police Paul Isegohi and all other security outfits in the state to be at alert to quell any move to breach the peace of any town in the state.

    The tension in Kontagora forced many traders to lock up their shops, people deserted the streets, while some people with their family members took refuge at the military cantonment in the town.

    In the state capital, major offices in the town closed as early as noon, as most civil servants left for their homes for fear of any attack by the group while most streets were found deserted.

    The State Police Public Relations Officer Richard Oguche said the command was ready to quell insurgence by any group, admitting that the stationing of armored tanks in strategic positions in the affected towns was "a show of police preparedness to quell any act capable of breaching the peace of the state."

    Oguche said the state command in compliance with the directive of the Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro has beefed up security in the state.

    The Police spokesperson advised the people of the state to go about their businesses as the command was atop the security situation in the state.