2008 Jos riots

Location of Jos in Nigeria

The 2008 Jos riots were riots involving Christians and Muslims over the result of a local election on 28 and 29 November 2008 in Jos, a community in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria.[1][2] Two days of rioting left over 400 injured and 381 killed.[3] The Nigerian army arrived on the morning of the 30th, and order was restored.[4]

Causes

Electoral workers did not publicly list the winners of the elections, and rumours began that the election was won by the candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), barrister Timothy Gyang Buba,[5] defeating the candidate for the All Nigerian Peoples Party. People from the largely Muslim Hausa community, began protesting even before the results were released, and started to attack Christian homes and churches by midnight. Violence escalated between them and the Christians, who largely supported Buba.[6]

Riots

The rioting led to the death of over 381 people in central Nigeria in only two days of clashing,[7] and several homes, mosques, churches and a seminary were damaged or burned by mobs.[4][8] The Nigerian Red Cross Society reported that 10,000 people fled their homes due to the riots,[2] and were living in government-provided shelters.[6] Nigerian soldiers were sent into Jos to break up the fighting and create a buffer zone between the Christians and Muslims.[9]

Effects

Jonah Jang, the governor of the Plateau State, imposed a 24-hour curfew on four districts of the city, and soldiers are permitted to "shoot on sight" to prevent more violence.[6] Flights to and from Jos were cancelled and roads to the north were blocked.[4]

Similar riots in 2001 between Christians and Muslims in Jos also killed hundreds.[4][10] A 2004 riot in Yelwa, another town in Plateau State resulted in the so-called Yelwa Massacre. Fighting in the north-central Kaduna State when it tried to impose shari'a law in 2000, resulted in the partition of Kaduna. This was followed by the Kaduna riots of November 2002, resulting from Nigeria's hosting of the Miss World contest, which one of its contestants had won the previous year.[11]

Many armed youths of both sides were arrested at military roadblocks.[9] Police estimated that as many as 500 were arrested on Saturday, 29 November, alone.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "7,070 displaced persons in 10 camps in Jos, Nigeria". Xinhua. 6 December 2008. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Riots 'kill hundreds in Nigeria'". BBC News. 29 November 2008. Archived from the original on 30 November 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  3. ↑ "Nigeria: Jos Riots – Death Toll Hits 400y: witnesses". AFP. 29 November 2008. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Nigerian army takes over riot city". AFP. 29 November 2008. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  5. ↑ "Nigeria: Dozens Killed in Jos LG Election Riot". Allafrica.com. 29 November 2008. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "At Least 200 Die in Nigeria Clashes". The New York Times. 29 November 2008. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  7. ↑ "Hundreds dead in Nigerian riots". The Irish Times. 29 November 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  8. ↑ "300 bodies taken to mosque on 2nd day of Nigeria riots". CNN. 29 November 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "At least 200 killed in clashes in Nigeria". Reuters. 29 November 2008. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  10. ↑ "Nigerian president tours riot city". BBC. 17 October 2001. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  11. ↑ Nigeria calls off Miss World show

External links

Wikinews has related news: Riots in Nigeria kill nearly 400