Nigeria eases curfew

2010-03-19 09:36

Jos - Nigerian authorities on Thursday relaxed a curfew imposed in the flashpoint city of Jos after sectarian carnage in January as the security situation had improved, a senior official said.

"Given the improvement in security situation in Jos and Bukuru ... the curfew has been relaxed by three hours," Plateau State Information Commissioner Gregory Yenlong said.

"The curfew time is now from 21:00 (20:00 GMT) to 06:00 (05:00 GMT). This is to enable people have more time to conduct their activities and to restore confidence that security has improved," he said.

The curfew was imposed on Jos and its environs following the January violence in which more than 300 people were killed, according to police. It was in force for 12 hours starting at 18:00.

After the January bloodshed, Muslim herdsmen disguised as soldiers on Wednesday butchered and then torched around a dozen Christians in two villages near Jos.

Most of the victims of the latest raid on Byei and Batem villages in the Riyom region of the central Plateau state were women and children, state radio reported.

- SAPA