Troops deploy across Nigeria

2004-05-14 10:43

Oloche Samuel

Kano - Emergency security forces deployed in cities across Nigeria on Thursday, as authorities moved to prevent the latest spate of inter-religious violence from spreading throughout Africa's most-populous nation.

Following two days of Muslim reprisal attacks on Christians in the northern city of Kano that Red Cross officials said on Thursday killed three dozen, hastily arranged police and army reinforcements took to city streets across Nigeria.

Extra police were on patrol in the southern city of Lagos and authorities beefed-up security forces in many heavily Islamic northern cities, including Kaduna where local governor Ahmed Makarfi ordered police to shoot "any troublemakers" on sight.

President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday visited the central town of Yelwa, where members of a largely Christian ethnic group massacred hundreds of members of a rival Muslim tribe last week in retaliation for earlier slayings.

Authorities said Obasanjo later traveled to Bauchi state in central Nigeria, visiting a relief camp holding 27 000 people who fled the region of Yelwa. A Red Cross official earlier said between 500 and 600 died in the town.

Authorities vowed violence wouldn't follow Obasanjo to Bauchi state.

Police everywhere

"We don't expect things to boil over here," Bauchi spokesperson Mohammed Abdullahi said. "Anti-riot police are everywhere and the authorities have appealed to people not to resort to violence."

Estimates varied widely of how many died in two days of violence in Kano, where some Muslims burned cars and buildings and attacked their Christian neighbours after a thousands-strong march to denounce the Yelwa killings.

Aminu Inua, chair of the Red Cross chapter in Kano, said 36 people had been confirmed dead - higher than the 30 reported by Kano officials on Wednesday - and she said the tally could grow.

"We can't give the exact number of the dead because not all cases are reported. Some have buried their dead. Some others died on their way to hospital and relations just buried them. Such cases don't get to us," said Inua.

The local morgue, with a capacity of 32, was overflowing and health workers said 15 new corpses had arrived since Wednesday.

Residents spoke of scores of others killed with clubs and machetes and said many bodies lay in charred buildings and automobiles.

Saidu Dogo, leader of a northern-based Christian association, said more than 600 Christians had died, citing information from security sources. His claim couldn't be independently verified.

- SAPA