JOS, Nigeria (AP) — Christian youths attacked a car full of Muslims returning from a wedding in central Nigeria, killing seven people inside the vehicle and sparking retaliatory violence that left one other person dead, an official said Saturday.
It was the latest unrest in a fertile region that saw more than 500 people killed last year in massacres pitting Christians against Muslims.
On Saturday, gunshots echoed through the troubled city of Jos, causing store owners to close their shops and families to hide inside their homes.
The violence began as Christian youths blocked a road leading from a neighboring village Friday night, trapping the Muslims inside their car, said lawyer Ahmed Garba, a member of an Islamic religious council. Garba told journalists Saturday that seven people died in the attack and one person survived.
Garba said once news of the attack spread, Muslims began retaliatory violence in the streets of Jos that has left at least one person dead.
Plateau state police commissioner Abdurrahman Akano said investigators received word of the Friday night attack, but had not found any bodies. That is not uncommon as Muslims traditionally bury their dead as soon as possible. Manassie Panpe, the Red Cross' state secretary, said officials from the aid organization had found several injured people in the streets Saturday but that information remained scarce.
Nigeria, an oil-rich country of 150 million people, is almost evenly split between Muslims in the north and the predominantly Christian south. Jos is in the nation's "middle belt," where dozens of ethnic groups vie for control of fertile lands.
The Jos violence, though fractured across religious lines, often has more to do with local politics, economics and rights to grazing lands. The government of Plateau state, where Jos is the capital, is controlled by Christian politicians who have blocked Muslims from being legally recognized as citizens. That has locked many out of prized government jobs in a region where the tourism industry and tin mining have collapsed in the last decades.
On Christmas Eve, two bombs went off near a large market in Jos where people were doing last-minute Christmas shopping. A third hit a mainly Christian area of Jos, while the fourth was near a road that leads to the city's main mosque.
Officials initially said at least 32 died from the blasts, while an official with the National Emergency Management Agency told journalists that he had counted 80 deaths from the explosions and the retaliatory violence that followed.
An Internet message attributed to radical Muslim sect known in northern Nigeria as Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the bomb attacks. However, the sect had never carried out an attack in that region before..
Posted: at 8-01-2011 06:35 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
belinda4ben at 8-01-2011 08:42 PM (13 years ago) (m)
Another one!is this crisis of a thing like a turnament,this time is christian youth's!God have mercy.............Nigeria leader's should wake up........
Posted: at 8-01-2011 08:42 PM (13 years ago) | Newbie
What do you expect from Christians. They are all about VIOLENCE and nothing else! Apparently their leaders don't understand this scripture Matt 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,[a] and violent people have been raiding it.
So they teach them how to be violent instead of telling them that because of this Jesus Christ dies to give us Peace. These youths are only doing what is taught to them. How to be hateful, revengeful, stubborn, rebellious and disobedient. These are the behaviors which are random inside of the Christian Churches because all their leaders want is MONEY and PROSPERITY here on earth. So they have one big church of Spiritual Darkness congregation.
Godly WISDOM is to Fear God. His UNDERSTANDING is to resist the devil.
Posted: at 8-01-2011 08:51 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
hmmm this is terible situation in Nigeria, all these xtain n muslim fight is all about selfish interest n desire, Islam and Christainity is a religion of peace, i wonder how some pple who are pagan and unbeliever hide themselves under xtain n muslim to propagate their evil intetion and calling this a fight, whom are they fight for, JESUS CHRIST OR MOHAMMED OR ALLAH HIMSELF. WHO CAN FIGHT FOR GOD? NO ONE. GOD IS CAPABLE OF FIGHTING FOR HIMSELF.
Posted: at 8-01-2011 09:16 PM (13 years ago) | Newbie
austineok at 8-01-2011 09:27 PM (13 years ago) (m)
Quote from: Kemylad on 8-01-2011 09:16 PM
hmmm this is terible situation in Nigeria, all these xtain n muslim fight is all about selfish interest n desire, Islam and Christainity is a religion of peace, i wonder how some pple who are pagan and unbeliever hide themselves under xtain n muslim to propagate their evil intetion and calling this a fight, whom are they fight for, JESUS CHRIST OR MOHAMMED OR ALLAH HIMSELF. WHO CAN FIGHT FOR GOD? NO ONE. GOD IS CAPABLE OF FIGHTING FOR HIMSELF.
well said my sister.
Posted: at 8-01-2011 09:27 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
is about time we all know that the world will soon come to an end the other time christain in eygipt also revoking against muslim nd now nigerian.anyway l am not suprise for the scripture most be fulfil.rumours of wars every where.creations dying the other day 5 thousands bird fell from the sky all dead and 2 millions fishes dead in the sea, flood in australia covering a land that is as big as germany and france,flood coming also to france,fire burning in netherland,poluted eggs killing people in the uk from germany.let him that thinketh he stand run lest he fall.we should all be prepare for more will come.but be not afraid for the lord will stand for those who are his.peace of the lord be with u all
Posted: at 8-01-2011 09:33 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
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