Nigeria: Christians flee homes
2006-09-21 22:21
Kano - Hundreds of Christians sought refuge at police headquarters in a predominantly Muslim Nigerian town on Thursday after rioters protesting alleged blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad attacked and burned Christian churches, homes and businesses, said residents and police.
One of the residents, Emeka Nworah, said: "Violence broke out in Dutse, the capital of Nigeria's northern Jigawa state, on Wednesday after thousands of Muslim youth poured out on the streets to protest alleged blasphemy by a Christian woman."
It was unclear what the offensive statement was that sparked the rioting.
Some said it was a market dispute, while others said she made a statement against Muhammad days earlier.
Several churches, homes and businesses belonging to the city's minority Christians were set ablaze and destroyed in the rampage. Police confirmed the violence.
Many people injured
"The disturbances are unfortunate, but the situation is now under control," said senior police official Kieran Dudari.
No deaths were reported, but residents said many people were injured.
Six churches were burnt, along with an unspecified number of homes and shops, said police.
Nworah was among Dutse residents who escaped to Kano in search of transportation to their home states in the mainly Christian south.
More than 1 000 people, mainly Christians, were still camped in the open field at state police headquarters in Dutse on Thursday, too scared to go back to their homes, said witnesses and police.
More sectarian violence
Nigeria 's 130 million people are roughly split between a south dominated by Christians and a north mainly populated by Muslims, with sectarian violence breaking out often.
Thousands of Nigerians have died in sectarian strife since 2000, when mostly Muslim northern states began implementing Islamic Shariah law.
Earlier this year, more than 120 people were killed in attacks across the country sparked by Muslim protests over cartoons published in Europe caricaturing Prophet Muhammad.
- AP