Source:

About 20 persons killed in clashes between Moslems and Christians near Jos [ID 15104]

"In Nigeria sind etwa 20 Menschen bei Zusammenstößen zwischen Moslems und Christen getötet worden. Der britische Sender BBC berichtete am Mittwoch in seinem Online-Dienst, eine moslemische Miliz habe ein christliches Dorf in der Nähe von Jos überfallen. Dorfbewohner und Militärs hätten die Täter in die Flucht geschlagen. Einige seien erschossen worden. Die Polizei vermutet, dass der bereits am Sonntag verübte Überfall ein Racheakt für die Ermordung hunderter Menschen im September in Jos war. Die Milizionäre gehörten zu den überwiegend moslemischen Volksgruppen der Haussa und Fulani. Die Stadt Jos wird mehrheitlich von Christen bewohnt."

04.02.2008 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Bauchi State: At least one person dead and 5 seriously injured in violent clash between Muslim mob and police over a woman accused of blaspheming the prophet Mohammed ("Deadly sectarian riot over alleged blasphemy") [ID 22641]

Document(s): Open document

14.12.2007 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Bauchi State: At least 6 people killed and 30 critically injured in clashes between Muslim and Christian communities ("At least six dead in sectarian violence") [ID 22642]

Document(s): Open document

02.10.2007 - Source: Christian Solidarity Worldwide

Kano State: Official figures suggest around nine 9 Christians were killed, several churches were burnt and businesses and homes belonging to non-Muslims were destroyed during religious violence. ("Death toll from violence higher than estimated") [ID 22039]

Document(s): Open document

01.10.2007 - Source: Christian Solidarity Worldwide

Kano State: At least 9 Christians killed, churches set on fire, businesses and homes destroyed; violence follows unspecified allegations that Christians blasphemed prophet Mohammed ("Nine Christians killed following accusations of blasphemy") [ID 22045]

Document(s): Open document

14.09.2007 - Source: US Department of State

No high-profile cases of community violence between Muslims and Christians ("International Religious Freedom Report 2007") [ID 21308]

"Interreligious tension between Christians and Muslims remained in some areas, and conflicts of a seemingly socioeconomic or political nature often divided people along religious lines. Unlike in prior reporting periods, there were no high-profile cases of community violence directed at religious groups. Events occurring in other regions or other parts of the world, particularly those of a religious tenor, heightened tensions between religious groups."

Document(s): Open document

14.09.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Katsina and Borno States: After the 2006 violence related to the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, the region remained susceptible to religious conflict because of underlying socioeconomic problems ("International Religious Freedom Report 2007") [ID 21431]

"Local religious and traditional leaders met regularly in Katsina and Borno States in response to the 2006 violence sparked by protests over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. The region remained susceptible to religious conflict because of underlying socioeconomic problems."

Document(s): Open document

01.08.2007 - Source: BBC News

Security forces demolish headquarters of Shia sect, following religious clashes ("Nigerian Shia base knocked down") [ID 21140]

Document(s): Open document

24.05.2007 - Source: International Committee of the Red Cross

Riots erupted in many States of Nigeria in February and March following the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad ("Annual Report 2006") [ID 20844]

"Riots erupted in Anambra, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Katsina and Plateau states in February and March following the publication by a Danish newspaper of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. The sectarian violence left over 300 people dead, several hundred injured, thousands displaced, and houses, churches and mosques torched."

Document(s): Open document

03.05.2007 - Source: Guardian

Article on "Nigerian Taliban", a group founded by radical students who believe the country is led by an infidel government ("Christians live in dread as new, local Taliban rises in the north of Nigeria") [ID 20877]

Document(s): Open document

05.2007 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom

Over the last year, Nigeria continued to experience incidents of violent communal conflict along religious and ethnic lines ("Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom") [ID 20773]

"Over the last year, Nigeria continued to experience incidents of violent communal conflict along religious and ethnic lines, which are often intertwined. The popular movement in12 northern Nigerian states to expand the legal application of sharia to criminal matters continues to spark communal violence and is an ongoing source of volatility and tension between Muslims and Christians at both the national and local levels. Serious outbreaks of Muslim-Christian violence in the last few years threaten to divide further the populace along religious lines and to undermine the democratic transition and the foundations of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief in Nigeria. Social, economic, and political conditions have not improved in the country, fostering a climate of even greater tension among ethnic and religious communities."

Document(s): Open document

05.2007 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom

Since 1999 more than 10,000 Nigerians have been killed in sectarian and communal attacks and reprisals between Muslims and Christians ("Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom") [ID 20774]

"Since President Olusegun Obasanjo came to power through popular elections in 1999,more than 10,000 Nigerians have been killed in sectarian and communal attacks and reprisals between Muslims and Christians. The most serious of these clashes occurred in Kaduna state(February and May 2000 and November 2002); Jos, Plateau state (September 2001); Kano state and Yelwa, Plateau state (February-May 2004); and more recently, in northern and southeastern Nigeria, in the wake of the controversy over depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in the Danish press (February 2006)."

Document(s): Open document

05.2007 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom

Caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad fueled underlying religious and ethnic tensions ("Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom") [ID 20775]

"Ethnic and religious violence continued throughout the past year, although the number of deaths resulting from the violence decreased compared to previous years. Dozens of people were killed and dozens of churches and mosques destroyed in communal violence in several towns and villages in southeastern Nigeria, the Middle Belt region, and northern Nigeria. In February 2006, approximately 50,000 people were displaced and at least 150 Muslims and Christians were killed in four days of sectarian violence across Nigeria, particularly in the cities of Onitsha, Maiduguri, Katsina, and Bauchi, after protests over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad fueled underlying religious and ethnic tensions. Independent reports indicate that both Muslim and Christian groups initiated attacks on each other and reprisal attacks followed.Unlike in the past, the Nigerian government eventually raised the security alert level and directed law enforcement agents to deal decisively with eruptions of violence in any part of the country.At least 400 people have since been arrested. In March 2006, the Nigerian Information Minister stated publicly that there are continuing efforts by some individuals, groups, and organizations to instigate “further violence and mayhem” in many northern and southern states and that those“already arrested for their roles in the violence will be fully prosecuted.” Widespread destruction of property took place, with numerous churches, mosques, and homes burned down."

Document(s): Open document

05.2007 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom

Bauchi, Plateau State and Jigawa State: During sectarian clashes churches burned, 20 Christians killed and 1000 displaced ("Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom") [ID 20781]

"Also in February 2006, students at a secondary school in the northern Nigerian state of Bauchi reportedly threatened a Christian teacher for handling the Koran improperly. In a subsequent demonstration that turned violent, two churches were burned and approximately 20 Christians were killed. The teacher reportedly came in contact with a copy of the Koran after taking it from a student who was reading it while class was in session. According to the State Department, although 25 arrests were made, the case was being handled as a state security matter with little information publicly available. In April 2006 in Plateau state, at least 25 people, both Christian and Muslim, were killed and hundreds fled their homes during sectarian clashes over land ownership between the Pan and Gomai people. In September 2006, a mob of Muslim youths injured six Christians and burned nearly a dozen churches in the predominantly Muslim town of Dutse, capital of Jigawa state in northern Nigeria. The attacks were sparked by allegations that a Christian woman had blasphemed the Prophet Muhammad. Demanding that 99 she be stoned, angry Muslims incited a riot, destroying churches, 20 Christian homes, and 40 shops, leaving more than 1,000 Christians displaced. According to news reports, 25 persons were arrested in that incident. As of this writing, none of those arrested have been prosecuted."

Document(s): Open document

05.2007 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom

More rapid and effective response to sectarian violence by security authorities, but prosecution remains inadequate ("Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom") [ID 20782]

"Despite the ongoing nature of sectarian violence, the number of those killed decreased in the past year due to a more rapid and effective response by security authorities. However, prosecution of those involved with instigating sectarian violence remains inadequate, and President Obasanjo has been criticised both inside and outside Nigeria for not responding more decisively to the violence and the communal tensions brought about by the sharia controversy. He has primarily played a mediating role, stressing political negotiations rather than ordering the government to intervene to stop or prevent further violence. Moreover, many Christians and Muslims have been identified as perpetrators of violence over the years, but very few, if any, have been prosecuted or brought to justice. In fact, security and police forces have sometimes been accused of using excessive force, including extrajudicial killings, to curb communal violence. In an unprecedented admission, in August 2005, President Obasanjo stated publicly that the Nigerian police force had been guilty of torture and extrajudicial killings in numerous instances, and vowed to enforce adherence by police to universal human rights standards. After her visit to Nigeria in February-March 2005, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief stated that the Nigerian government should ensure that investigations of communal and sectarian violence are thorough, including through the identification and prosecution of the alleged perpetrators. In addition, the Nigerian government “should take very firm positions whenever religion is at the origin of human rights violations, regardless of which religious community is concerned.” In October 2006, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Maccido, widely regarded as the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims, died in an airplane accident. In recent years, Maccido frequently spoke out in an effort to end sectarian and communal violence between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

In February the Nigerian Red Cross reported that up to 50,000 persons were displaced and approximately 150 killed by a wave of sectarian violence sparked by protests over caricatures of Prophet Muhammed ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19735]

"In February the Nigerian Red Cross reported that up to 50,000 persons were displaced and approximately 150 killed by a wave of sectarian violence sparked by protests over caricatures of the Islamic Prophet Muhammed. The special assistant to the country's president of Migration and Humanitarian Affairs estimated that at least 500,000 persons, and perhaps millions of persons, were displaced within the country. The Nigerian Red Cross reported that approximately 8,600 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) had sought protection in an army barracks in Anambra State, and an additional 2,000 persons remained in refuge in army barracks in Niger State. The majority of deaths occurred in the mainly Christian southeast city of Onitsha, where groups of armed youths attacked Muslim Hausa-speakers from the north in revenge for the killings of Christian Igbos several days earlier in the north of the country. Spiraling violence spread across at least six states, with thousands of IDPs taking temporary refuge in police and army barracks or churches. Widespread destruction of property took place, with numerous churches, mosques, and houses burned down. State governments in the affected areas dispatched police and army reinforcements and imposed curfews in an attempt to contain the situation. The curfews were later lifted."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Borno state: 50 persons dead in attacks against Christians in February ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19736]

"On February 18, rioting in Maiduguri, Borno State, left more than 50 persons dead in six hours of attacks against Christians and their property. Approximately 40 churches also were destroyed."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Bauchi state: In February students threatened Christian teacher for handling the Koran; subsequent demonstrations resulted in burning of churches and killing of 20 Christians ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19737]

"Also in February Muslim students at a secondary school in Bauchi Sate reportedly threatened a Christian teacher for handling the Koran when she took it from a student who was reading it during class. A subsequent demonstration resulted in the burning of two churches and the killing of approximately 20 Christians; approximately 25 persons reportedly were arrested. The government handled the case as a state security matter and had released little information publicly by year's end. There were reports that some of the defendants were taken to Jos in Plateau State, where they were granted bail, and that others were taken to Abuja. Christian religious leaders in Bauchi have been unable to make contact with the teacher, who was reportedly transported out of the state for her protection."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

School was closed for a few weeks for security reasons after a Christian student was threatened by Muslim collegues ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19738]

"In February unidentified Muslim students at a nursing school in Sokoto threatened a female Christian student after she used inflammatory language denigrating the prophet Muhammed. A riot ensued, and the school was closed for a few weeks for security reasons. The female student was given refuge at a local police station. A police investigation had not located the perpetrators by year's end."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Jigawa state: In September churches were burned during religious row ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19739]

"On September 10, churches in Jigawa State were burned during an interreligious conflict that reportedly developed when a Christian student and a Muslim student exchanged comments denigrating each other's religious figures."

Document(s): Open document

21.09.2006 - Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (formerly Global IDP Project)

Introduction of Sharia law in 12 states caused tensions; clashes between Muslims and Christians usually caused by pressure on land or unequal access to social services ("Heightened risk of violence and displacement ahead of 2007 elections") [ID 17981]

"While some of these conflicts may ap-pear to be caused by a single factor, such as religion or ethnicity, the reality is usually more complex. The introduction of Islamic Sharia law in a total of 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states in recent years has caused tensions, but when Muslim and Christian groups have clashed this has usually been caused by other factors – such as pressure on land or unequal ac-cess to social services. However, the po-larisation that follows is often along religious lines, and the conflict is easily stereotyped as a “religious war”. The same dynamic is often observed with regard to “ethnic conflicts”."

Document(s): Open document

21.09.2006 - Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (formerly Global IDP Project)

In February 2006 50,000 people were displaced, 150 killed in a wave of sectarian violence across various states, sparked by protests over caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad ("Heightened risk of violence and displacement ahead of 2007 elections") [ID 17984]

"The volatility of underlying tensions was amply demonstrated when in February 2006 as many as 50,000 people were displaced and about 150 killed in a wave of sectarian violence across various Ni-gerian states, sparked by protests over caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad (NRCS, February 2006). The majority of deaths occurred in the mainly Christian southeast city of Onitsha, where groups of armed youths attacked Muslim Hausa-speakers from the north in revenge for Christian Igbos killed some days earlier in the north of the country. Spiralling violence spread across at least six states, with thousands of IDPs taking refuge mainly in police and army barracks or churches – although many later returned to their homes (BBC, 24 February 2006)."

Document(s): Open document

15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Adamawa State: In 2004 traditional ruler was dethroned for inciting violence between Christians and Muslims; In February 2005 police killed 2 persons and arrested 30 who were protesting the appointment of a new ruler ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 17806]

"The Adamawa state governor dethroned the ethnic Bachama traditional ruler for his role in inciting violence between ethnic Bachama Christians and ethnic Hausa Muslims in Numan in June 2004. Later the governor named a new traditional leader for the Bachama. In early February 2005 police killed at least two persons and arrested at least thirty others who were protesting the appointment of the new ruler, claiming that he had no mandate to rule over them. It was believed that those arrested were later released."

Document(s): Open document

15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Plateau State: Communal conflicts in 2004 led to the deaths of thousands and a several-month-long state of emergency; in April 2006 25 persons were killed in fightings between Pan and Gomai people ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 17809]

"It is not unusual for different ethnic groups with a long history of conflict to have adopted different religions with the effect of exacerbating existing tensions. Communal conflicts in Plateau and Kano States in 2004 led to the deaths of thousands and a several-month-long states of emergency in Plateau State. There have been incidents of violence in Plateau State since, but not on the scale of the previous reporting period. For example, in April 2006 at least twenty-five persons were killed and hundreds fled their homes during fighting between the Pan and Gomai people of Plateau state over land ownership."

Document(s): Open document

15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

In February 50,000 persons were displaced, 150 persons killed in sectarian violence sparked by protests over caricatures of Prophet Muhammad, mainly in the city of Onitsha ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 17810]

"As many as 50,000 persons were displaced and approximately 150 killed in a wave of sectarian violence across various states at the end of February, sparked by protests over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, according to the Nigerian Red Cross. The majority of deaths occurred in the mainly Christian southeast city of Onitsha, where groups of armed youths attacked Muslim Hausa-speakers from the north in revenge for Christian Igbos killed some days earlier in the north of the country. Spiraling violence spread across at least six states, with thousands of persons taking refuge mainly in police and army barracks or churches, although many later returned to their homes. Widespread destruction of property took place, with numerous churches, mosques, and houses burned down. State governments in the affected areas dispatched police and army reinforcements and imposed curfews in an attempt to contain the situation. The curfews were later lifted."

Document(s): Open document

15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Bauchi State: In February students reportedly threatened a Christian teacher for handling the Qur'an; in a subsequent demonstration 2 churches were burned, 20 Christians killed ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 17813]

"Also in February students at a secondary school in Bauchi Sate reportedly threatened a Christian teacher for handling the Qur'an, and in a subsequent demonstration that turned violent, two churches were burned and approximately twenty Christians were killed. The teacher came in contact with a copy of the Qur'an while taking it from a student who was reading it while class was in session. While approximately twenty-five arrests were believed to have been made, the case was being handled as a state security matter with little information publicly available. Some of the defendants may have been taken to Jos and were believed to have been granted bail, and some of the defendants were believed to have been taken to Abuja. Christian religious leaders in Bauchi were unable to make contact with the teacher, Florence Chuckwu."

Document(s): Open document

15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Sokoto: Christian student threatened after making pejorative remarks about Islam; school was closed for some weeks; she had to leave town for her safety ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 17814]

"A Christian female student from a nursing school in Sokoto was threatened after she was accused of having made inappropriate remarks about Islam. The school was closed for a few weeks for security reasons. A police investigation did not locate the perpetrators. The case arose when the student's Christian mother converted to Islam and married a Muslim man. The student refused to convert, and her fellow students asked her why she had not done so while using inflammatory language denigrating Jesus Christ. The student responded with inflammatory language denigrating the Prophet Muhammad, and a riot ensued. She was spirited away from the scene by a Muslim instructor who, according to credible reports, later faced reprisals for helping. The student was given refuge at the local police station. Shortly before a crowd threatened the station, she was moved to a different town and then to another state for her safety. She reportedly planned to attend school elsewhere."

Document(s): Open document

15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Bauchi State: In December 2004 Muslim students killed the head of a Christian campus organisation in retaliation for insults to Islam ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 17815]

"In December 2004 at a major university in Bauchi state, a group of Muslim students abducted and killed the head of a Christian campus organization in retaliation for what they considered to be insults to Islam by Christian students. To alleviate tensions and escalating violence against property, authorities closed the university and another nearby school, but both later reopened after an interfaith dialogue had been established. No arrests or prosecutions in the case were reported."

Document(s): Open document

15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

No further action was taken in connection with church and mosque burnings in Kebbi, Kaduna, Ebonyi, and Jigawa States in 2004 ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 17816]

"No further action was taken, nor was further action likely, in connection with the church and mosque burnings in Kebbi, Kaduna, Ebonyi, and Jigawa States in 2004. No one remained in detention from these incidents, nor was further action likely in relation to the 2003 unrest in Jigawa and Plateau States."

Document(s): Open document

07.2006 - Source: Freedom House

Plateau state: Anger over rigged elections and corruption incited tensions between Muslims and Christians in 2004 ("Countries at the Crossroads 2006") [ID 18283]

"[cf. Anambra state, july 2003, note from ACCORD] A similar drama played out between the governor of Plateau state and his political opponents. Community anger over reportedly rigged elections followed by inflammatory actions and corruption by the governor ignited Muslim-Christian tensions in the state, leading to religious riots in several cities across Nigeria and prompting the president to impose six months of emergency rule in Plateau starting in May 2004."

Document(s): Open document

27.02.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

2,000 Niger nationals living in Nigeria fled back home following violent religious clashes between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria ("Nigeria's religious clashes send 2,000 fleeing back to Niger") [#45191],  [ID 14605]

"At least 2,000 Niger nationals living in Nigeria have in recent days fled back home following a week of violent religious clashes between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria, a local government official said Monday.

"At least 2,000 of our compatriots have arrived since Thursday," said the mayor of Maradi Idi Male, adding that provisional measures had been taken to house and feed them.

"They arrived aboard buses, often without laggage and among them were women and children," he said, ading that at least 10 had been injured.

Many originated from the districts of Madaoua, Keita and Bouza, in the Tahoua region, southwest of Niger, according to Male.

Millions of Niger Muslims reside or take up seasonal work in Nigeria, which shares a more than 1,500 kilometre (1,000 mile) border with Niger.

Sectarian violence left at least 80 people dead last week in the southern Nigerian city of Onitsha after Christians turned on Muslims to avenge earlier attacks on their brethren in the north, where Christians were killed amid protests against the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed published in Europe."

Document(s): Open document

24.02.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

Religious fighting breaks out again in Nigeria ("Religious fighting breaks out again in Nigeria (Reuters)") [#45031],  [ID 14606]

"Christian youths armed with machetes, stones and clubs attacked Muslims in the southeastern Nigerian city of Enugu on Friday and a Reuters witness saw a mob beat one man to death.

Meanwhile, in north-central Niger state, in the town of Kotangora, the Red Cross reported that Muslims attacked Christians and churches had been torched.

Christians were fleeing to army barracks for safety but there was no immediate word on casualties.

Seven people died in Enugu on Wednesday in revenge attacks on Muslims following the killings of Christians in the mainly Muslim north of the country. Close to 150 people are known to have died in religious fighting in Nigeria since last Saturday.

Friday's renewed fighting in Enugu was sparked by a rumour that a Muslim policeman had shot a Christian boy. It was impossible to verify the rumour but residents said it spread quickly around the city.

In the Abakpa-Nike area of Enugu mobs of armed Christian youths from the Ibo ethnic group who dominate the southeast of Nigeria rushed through the streets searching for Hausa people.

The Hausa are the main ethnic group of the north and are almost all Muslim."

Document(s): Open document

23.02.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

Christian youth in Nigeria are seeking revenge for the killings of Christians in the North ("Bodies burnt in open after Nigeria riots kill 138 (Reuters Foundation)") [#44993],  [ID 14607]

"Christian youths burned the corpses of Muslims on Thursday on the streets of Onitsha in southeastern Nigeria, the city worst hit by religious riots that have killed at least 138 people across the country in five days.

Christian mobs, seeking revenge for the killings of Christians in the north, attacked Muslims with cutlasses, destroyed their houses and torched mosques in two days of violence in Onitsha, where at least 85 people have died.

"We are very happy that this thing is happening so that the north will learn their lesson," said Anthony Umai, a motorcycle taxi rider, standing close to where Christian youths had piled up the corpses of 10 Muslims and were burning them.

Dozens more corpses had been thrown into the back of pick-up trucks by security services overnight, residents said."

Document(s): Open document

22.02.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

At least 27 dead in new religious riot in Nigeria ("At least 27 dead in new religious riots in Nigeria (Reuters)") [#44886],  [ID 14608]

"Revenge attacks against Muslims killed at least 27 people in southeastern Nigeria on Wednesday after anti-Christian violence killed dozens and left thousands homeless in the mainly Muslim north.

The slaughter raised the death toll from five days of religious riots fuelled by political tensions in Africa's most populous country to at least 73, and possibly many more."

Document(s): Open document

21.02.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

Nigerian Christians kill Muslims in reprisal riots ("Nigerian Christians kill Muslims in reprisal riots (Reuters Foundation)") [#44824],  [ID 14609]

"Christian rioters killed Muslims and torched mosques in the southern Nigerian city of Onitsha on Tuesday in retaliation for anti-Christian violence that killed dozens in the north, witnesses said.

A security source said the dead had yet to be counted but at least a dozen people were killed and authorities feared the toll could be much higher.

A Christian trader said young men armed with guns, stones and machetes tore through the market, attacking any Muslim in sight, and as he fled the violence he saw many dead bodies."

Document(s): Open document

10.06.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Adamawa State: dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed on the town of Numan after religious clashes ("Curfew imposed on Numan after religious clashes") [#23196],  [ID 15083]

"A dusk-to-dawn curfew has been imposed on the town of Numan in Nigeria’s eastern Adamawa State. Police have been given orders to shoot troublemakers on sight after two days of deadly clashes between Christians and Muslims.

State police commissioner, Hafiz Ringim, told reporters that 10 people had died in the violence earlier this week, but residents and other witnesses put the death toll at more than 30.

Fighting broke out on Tuesday over a dispute about the construction of a new mosque next to the house of a Christian tribal chief in the mainly Christian town on the banks of the Benue river. The clashes continued on Wednesday before police reinforcements brought the situation under control."

Document(s): Open document

09.06.2004 - Source: BBC News

Adamawa State: at least 7 people have been killed and 3 mosques burnt down in clashes between Christians and Muslims ("Mosque row sparks Nigeria clashes") [#23326],  [ID 15084]

Document(s): Open document

14.05.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

At least 57,000 people have fled their homes following sectarian violence involving Christians and Muslims in northern and central Nigeria ("57,000 people displaced by sectarian violence in two states") [#22271],  [ID 15086]

Document(s): Open document

11.05.2004 - Source: BBC News

Rioting has broken out in the northern city of Kano at a rally to protest at the recent killing of hundreds of Muslims in central Nigeria ("Northern riot at Nigeria deaths") [#22226],  [ID 15088]

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Article on Miss World contest generated riots between Christians and Muslims ("Country Report - October 2003") [#17332],  [ID 15091]

"In November 2002, journalist Isioma Daniel made an insensitive remark in an article attributed to her in the publication Thisday. This was in response to Muslim objections to the Miss World contest being held in Nigeria, and the paper apologised for any offence caused by the article. This article was cited as the cause of four days rioting between Christians and Muslims in Kaduna which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 200 people, with many more injured or fleeing the area. The army acted rapidly to restore order. Miss Daniel was the subject of a fatwah by the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, which sentenced her to death, but the Nigeria's Islamic Council declared that they was no authority for the issue of this fatwa;. The Deputy Governor has so far refused to withdraw it and technically it still stands.

6.19 President Obosanjo visited Kaduna soon after, and ordered that those responsible for the violence be detained. However, relations between elements of the Christian and Muslim communities in Nigeria remain tense, and any incident, however minor, for example a road accident or a family dispute, can be seen as provocative. Both communities accuse the Government of favouring the other, or not doing enough to address their concerns."

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Kaduna State: Religious riots in Kaduna ("Country Report - October 2003") [#17332],  [ID 15092]

"6.24 Violent riots broke out on 21 and 22 February 2000 in Kaduna, following a demonstration by the Christian community against the imposition of the Shari'a penal code in Kaduna State. It is not clear who started the violence, but the situation quickly deteriorated into serious violence with Christians and Muslims burning each other's properties, businesses and places of worship. Hundreds of people were reported to have been killed during this violence. Retaliatory violence against Muslim communities broke out in Abia, Imo and Akwa Ibom States when some of the bodies of the Kaduna victims were returned to their home states. Over four hundred people were killed. There was further rioting in Kaduna in May 2000, but it is not reported to have been linked to religion.

6.25 Following the Kaduna riots in February 2000, President Obasanjo called a crisis meeting of the National Council of States, a body which includes the President, Vice-President, former Heads of State and the governors of all the states. In August 2002, both the Muslim and the Christian community in Kaduna signed a declaration to refrain from violence. The introduction of a form of Shari'a that addressed the concerns of both communities was cited as a reason for progress in achieving this agreement and building trust."

Document(s): Open document

12.06.2003 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Adamawa State: at least 15 people killed as sectarian violence which first flared in the town of Numan spread to nearby villages ("Death toll rises to 15 in northeast religious riots") [#13495],  [ID 15094]

Document(s): Open document

26.08.2002 - Source: World Organisation Against Torture

Kaduna State: Sharia controversy led to mass killings in 2000 ("Hope Betrayed ? A Report on Impunity and State Sponsored Violence in Nigeria") [#8522],  [ID 15100]

"Amidst this controversy, the embrace of Shariah moved to Kaduna State, indicating a movement from states with clear Muslim predominance like Zamfara, Niger and Kano, to places with relatively strong Christian populations, like Kaduna. In December 1999, the Kaduna State House of Assembly constituted an 11-person committee to examine the applicability of Shariah criminal law in Kaduna State. This singular action polarised the House of Assembly across religious lines. The Christian members of the House of Assembly argued that the motion was not properly passed, and accused the Muslim members of having a hidden agenda. The Committee in fact comprised only Muslims. The Muslims, in turn, argued that Shariah is purely a Muslim affair that had nothing to do with Christians. They also maintained that there was nothing wrong with the way the motion was passed, pointing out that two Christian members nominated to participate in the committee declined their nominations.[…]
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State branch protested to the House on the issue. They expressed their fears concerning what they perceived as an attempt to “Islamise Kaduna State” and the possibility of such action generating crisis in Kaduna. While the Christians continued to protest, the Muslims were strongly behind the State Assembly, using every opportunity to express their solidarity with the House.
Both Muslims and Christians used their worship centres to pass commentaries on Shariah. While this was going on, the Kaduna State government constituted an inter-religious committee consisting of equal numbers of Muslim and Christian leaders, all in an attempt to calm the political temperature. After the public hearing of the committee of the State House of Assembly, CAN Kaduna Branch, organised a public protest against what they called the “planned introduction of Shariah in the state.” The peaceful protest later turned violent and led to mass killings of people. While this crisis was under investigation, another one broke out between May 22 and 23, 2000. […]
A majority of our respondents attributed the crisis to the long socio-political rivalry and acrimony between the Hausa-Fulani majority in Kaduna State and the significant but minority Christians. Others believe that the “planned introduction” of Shariah in the state was the main cause of the crises."

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omct-cleenNigeriareport0802.pdf

15.07.2002 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Plateau State: New fighting between Christians and Muslims ("Nigeria: Fresh violence in Plateau claims more lives") [#7830],  [ID 15101]

"At least 12 people have been killed in a fresh outbreak of ethnic and religious violence in Plateau State, central Nigeria, sources from the area said.
The latest round of clashes erupted on Wednesday in the town of Wase between Taroks, who are indigenous to the area, and Hausa-Fulani settlers, who originally came from farther north. "No fewer than 12 people have been killed and several houses have been destroyed," John Ibe, an area resident who escaped to the Plateau State capital, Jos, told IRIN.
State-owned Radio Nigeria in the northern town of Kaduna confirmed the clashes on Friday and quoted Plateau State Commissioner of Police Innocent Ilozuoke as saying 74 people had been arrested in connection with the violence. However, no casualty figures were given.
There have been intermittent clashes between Hausa-Fulanis, who are overwhelmingly Muslim, and mainly Christian indigenous people in Plateau State since September 2001, when at least 1,000 people were killed in a week of fighting in Jos between the two communities.
Indigenous people blame some of the attacks on Fulani herdsmen who, they say, have been seeking to avenge the death of one of their chiefs in the September Jos conflict. The herdsmen in turn accuse the indigenes of giving them ultimatums to leave land which, for decades, had been their traditional grazing areas."

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02.01.2002 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Plateau State: 17 people killed and several injured in an attack by armed men on a village near Jos ("Nigeria: 3,000 flee to Jos following militia attack") [#5122],  [ID 15105]

"More than 3,000 people have sought refuge at a military barracks in Jos, capital of central Nigeria's Plateau State, following an attack by armed men on a nearby village, police told IRIN on Wednesday. Seventeen people were killed and several others wounded in the attack, blamed on Muslim Hausa-Fulani militiamen, state officials told IRIN. Most of the people who have taken refuge at the Rukuba barracks are Hausa-Fulanis who fear retaliatory attacks, police said. Plateau Governor Joshua Dariye said the militia attacked Dagwom Turu village, Vwang district, in "a reprisal attack" for casualties suffered by Muslims during violent confrontations with local Christians in September 2001. Residents said over 40 militiamen, armed with guns, swords, bows and arrows, arrived in the village by bus."

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18.12.2001 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Plateau State: Report focused on mass killings in the city of Jos in September 2001; Christians and Muslims were both perpetrators and victims ("Jos: A City Torn Apart") [#5060],  [ID 15106]

"From September 7 to 13, 2001, Jos, the capital of Plateau State in central Nigeria, became the scene of mass killing and destruction for the first time in its recent history. Hundreds of people were killed and tens of thousands displaced in less than one week. Violence suddenly erupted between Christians and Muslims in a city where diverse communities had coexisted peacefully for years and which had prided itself on avoiding the inter-communal violence that had plagued neighboring states. While the total number of victims is not yet confirmed, initial figures compiled by local human rights groups, religious communities and other organizations indicate that more than 1,000 people were killed in just six days."

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18.12.2001 - Source: BBC News

Kano State: Interethnic tension in Kano reported: at least 9 people died in gang fights during the celebrations marking the end of Ramadan; ethnic Igbo killed by Muslims in a separate incident ("Nine die in Kano gang fights") [#5084],  [ID 15107]

"At least nine people have died in gang fights in the northern Nigerian city of Kano, local newspapers report. The fighting erupted during the celebrations marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Criminal gangs, known as yandaba, clashed in seven densely populated neighbourhoods in a district known as Old Kano, on the outskirts of the city, ThisDay newspaper reported. Soldiers and police were deployed to prevent further violence, residents said. It was the first outbreak of violence since October, when dozens were killed in clashes between the Muslims and Christians after Muslim fundamentalists protested against the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan."

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18.10.2001 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Details about recent violence between Christians and Muslims ("Nigeria: Focus on impact of U.S. anti-terrorism campaign") [#4325],  [ID 15111]

"As the United States and members of its coalition force against terrorism intensify their bombardment of Afghanistan, fragile relations between Muslims and Christians in Africa's most populous country, Nigeria, are coming under severe strain. Last month, the usually serene central region city of Jos was the scene of week-long violence between Christians and Muslims that left more than 500 people dead and some 50,000 displaced. Tension has been high in the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria since several states began introducing strict Islamic or Sharia law in the past two years following the country's return to democratic rule after more than 15 years under military dictators. Similar violence had rocked Kaduna, Bauchi, Nasarawa and Taraba states where non-Muslims feel threatened by plans to introduce Sharia. But as radical Muslims rally support for the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and the Saudi fugitive, Osama bin Laden, suspected of being behind the 11 September terrorist attacks in New York and Washington that claimed more 5,000 lives, the chasm with Christians in Nigeria is widening. Increasingly adherents of both religions in Nigeria, of fairly equal numbers, are hardening their positions against each other."

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17.10.2001 - Source: BBC News

Over 100 people killed in fighting between Muslims and Christians; at least 18,000 people, most of them non-Muslims, displaced by the clashes ("Nigerian president tours riot city") [#4290],  [ID 15114]

"What started as a peaceful anti-American demonstration by Muslims on Friday quickly degenerated into running battles, barricades of burning tyres being erected, cars being set alight and buildings torched. (…) Militant youths from both communities took advantage of the turmoil to loot shops and offices. (…) Police say 18 people died in the violence, but the Nigerian Red Cross said in a statement they did not know how many had died but said "it was safe and reliable to quote a figure of over 100". It also says that at least 18,000 people, most of them non-Muslims, have been displaced by the clashes."

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17.09.2001 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Plateau State: Some 300 people were arrested in connection with violent religious clashes between Muslim Hausa-Fulanis and Christian indigenes in the city of Jos that left at least 300 people dead ("Nigeria: Hundreds arrested over Jos violence") [#3986],  [ID 15115]

"Nigerian police have arrested some 300 people in connection with violent religious clashes in the central city of Jos some 10 days ago, AFP reported state television as saying on Sunday. It was not clear if anyone had been charged or whether anyone had been released after questioning and police were not available for comment, the French news agency reported. Violence erupted between Muslim Hausa-Fulanis and Christian indigenes on 7 September leaving at least 300 people dead, thousands displaced and buildings, including churches and mosques, destroyed."

Document(s): 02034nig.htm
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15.09.2001 - Source: Süddeutsche Zeitung

Plateau State: More than 500 persons killed after religiously motivated violence in Jos ("Religiöse Kämpfe in Nigeria neu entbrannt") [#4068],  [ID 15112]

"Wie der Radiosender BBC am Freitag berichtete, dauerten die Kämpfe zwischen Muslimen und Christen in der zentralnigerianischen Stadt Jos an. Nach inoffiziellen Meldungen sollen seit Beginn der Ausschreitungen vor einer Woche mindestens 500 Menschen ums Leben gekommen sein. Auch in der nördlichen Stadt Kano hätten muslimische Jugendliche inzwischen randaliert und zwei Kirchen in Brand gesteckt. (...) Augenzeugen brachten die neuen Spannungen mit den Terrorakten in New York und Washington in Verbindung. Die Gräueltaten hätten Hunderte jubelnder fanatischer Muslime auf die Straßen der beiden Städte gebracht, meldeten lokale Zeitungen."

Document(s): Open document

10.09.2001 - Source: Süddeutsche Zeitung

Plateau State: Clashes between Christians and Muslims in the city of Jos, government sends out military ("50 Tote bei Straßenschlacht in Nigeria - Christen und Muslime in der Stadt Jos gingen mit Keulen und Äxten aufeinander los") [#4070],  [ID 15113]

"Militante Jugendliche beider Religionen gingen mit Keulen, Macheten und Äxten aufeinander los, außerdem wurden mindestens fünf Kirchen, eine Moschee und Hunderte von Autos in Brand gesteckt. Die Polizei versuchte vergeblich, die verfeindeten Gruppen mit Tränengas und Schüssen auseinander zu treiben. Augenzeugen berichteten, dass in den Straßen der Vier-Millionen-Stadt Dutzende von Leichen gelegen haben."

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10.09.2001 - Source: BBC News

Plateau State: More than 160 people reportedly killed after escalation of religious tension between Christians and Muslims in Jos ("Scores die in Nigeria clashes") [#3914],  [ID 15116]

"Reports from the central Nigerian city of Jos says more than 160 people have been killed in three days of violence between Muslims and Christians. Terrified residents described how armed gangs of youths were roaming the streets, attacking members of other communities. Thousands have sought refuge with police, and medical services have battled to cope with the numbers of dead and wounded. The northern city of Kano has also been hit by an outbreak of communal clashes, with a church set on fire. An official of the International Red Cross, Phillip Macham, said: "Our records, at this afternoon, show that 165 bodies have been deposited at various hospitals in Jos", but he warned that the final death toll may be even higher. He said that, in addition, more than 900 had been injured as rival gangs rampaged through the city of four million people. James Alalade, a pastor of the burnt church in Kano, told Reuters news agency: "They (youths) just came in with their weapons and petrol in cans and asked everybody out before setting the church ablaze. Nobody could stop them, they were heavily armed."

Document(s): 02009nig.htm
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10.09.2001 - Source: BBC News

Kano State: More than 160 people killed in violence between Muslims and Christians in the northern city of Kano ("Scores die in Nigeria clashes") [#3914],  [ID 15117]

Document(s): 02009nig.htm
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08.09.2001 - Source: Washington Post

Plateau State: Fighting between Muslims and Christians erupted in a northern Nigerian city at the time of Muslim prayers ("Religious Violence Jolts Nigerian City") [#3894],  [ID 15118]

Document(s): 01997nig.htm
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29.08.2001 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Bauchi State: 15 people killed in renewed clashes between Christians and Muslims; fighting between Christian Jarawas and Sayawas and Hausa-Fulani Muslims ("Nigeria: Renewed Christian-Muslim clashes claim lives") [#3831],  [ID 15119]

"Renewed fighting between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria's northern Bauchi State over plans by the government to introduce strict Islamic law has claimed several lives, witnesses said on Wednesday. The latest outbreak of violence in the Tafawa Balewa local government council involves two communities, the mainly Christian Kutaru and the predominantly Muslim Zwall. "Fighting broke out last week and no fewer than 15 people have been killed while many more have been injured," Musa Kaltung, a bus driver who travelled through the area en route to Lagos, told IRIN. Nigerian Red Cross officials said fighting between Christian Jarawas and Sayawas and Hausa-Fulani Muslims in June and July left more than 400 people dead and more than 22,000 displaced. The tense situation was just being brought under control when the latest clashes erupted, they said."

Document(s): 01970nig.htm
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23.05.2001 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Gombe State: 25 people injured in clashes between Christian and Muslim youths; the imposition of Sharia in north was the source of much friction ("Nigeria: Religious clash in Gombe State") [#1770],  [ID 15120]

"Some 25 people were injured on Tuesday when Christian and Muslim youths clashed in Nigeria's northern state of Gombe, AFP reported Governor Abubakar Hashidu as saying. The incident took place in the town of Kumo after some Muslims confronted three Christians who were carrying a picket bearing the words "No Sharia", AFP quoted Hashidu as saying. Buildings were set ablaze but there were no deaths, AFP reported. The imposition of Sharia in much of northern Nigeria has been the source of much friction, including unrest last year in Kaduna City which left more 1,000 dead, and many buildings destroyed. Meanwhile, Borno State has decided to revoke all liquor licenses ahead of 1 June, when Sharia is scheduled to enter into effect there."

Document(s): 01073nig.htm
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