The 2001 Jos riots were riots involving Christians and Muslims in Jos, Nigeria over the appointment of a Muslim politician, Alhaji Muktar Mohammed, as local coordinator of the federal poverty alleviation program.[1] The clashes started on September 7 and lasted nearly two weeks, ending on September 17. Over 1000 people were killed because of the conflicts.[2]
Many houses, mosques and churches were damaged, destroyed or burned to the ground. Torched cars were left along the streets after the clashes between Christians and Muslims. Property and even human beings were set on fire also. Three churches of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) were burned. Three major hospitals suggested that their government increased casualty figures by hundreds.[1]
The clashes started on September 7, 2001, when a Christian woman attempted to cross a barricaded street. It led to a conflict between her and a group of Muslims, church leaders said. The fight eventually spread to other parts of the city. Christians were spontaneously attacked by Muslims, according to church leaders. The clash ended on September 17, 2001, when Nigeria's president, Olusegun Obasanjo, lamented the violence between the Muslims and Christians. Local sources see the introduction of military intervention and strictly enforced curfews as the major contributor to the end of the clashes. Because of the large number of people involved who were killed in the clashes, a mass burial had to be arranged as said by Mortuary attendants from Jos University Teaching Hospital and Plateau State Specialist Hospital.[1]
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