The Guardian (Lagos)
Isa Abdulsalami, Saxone Akhaine, And Dickson Adeyanju,
13 September 2001
Jos, Kaduna, And Lagos — FG summons police commissioner
Gaddafi, CAN condemn clashes
WHILE the pall of mourning envelopes the world following Tuesday terrorists attack on some cities of the United States, Nigeria had to grapple with another bout of violence in Jos, the capital city of Plateau State.
And thus ended the fragile peace that had returned to the city after the crisis that broke out last weekend.
Casualty rate in the latest riot, allegedly stoked by the American disaster and which has elicited condemnation from Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi and Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), is said to be "very high".
A resident of Nasarawa district where the trouble started and later spread to Dadinkowa, Tundun Wada and Bukuru however, claimed he saw a badly cut corpse. But Abiodun Orebiyi, acting secretary general of Nigerian Red Cross said he received reports that 10 people were injured and several houses burnt. About 10,000 people, including journalists, are now taking refuge at Rukuba Barracks of the 3 Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army. The General Officer Commanding (GOC) the division, Major Gen. Theophilus Akande has ordered shelter, medicare, feeding for them at Octopus Cinema, Sergeants Mess, officers and soldiers quarters and Command Day Secondary school.
A perturbed Presidency which has kept tab on the hostilities which have claimed about 500 lives since it began last weekend, is believed to have summoned the state Police Commissioner Abubakar Muhammed to Abuja over his alleged bias in the incidents.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had early yesterday asked the Federal Government to investigate the riots. CAN said its members have been pushed to the wall and may therefore, fight back.
Only on Tuesday, the House of Representatives blamed the Plateau upheavals on the nation's security agencies.
Residents said yesterday's trouble was ignited by Moslem youths who took to the streets jubilating the horrendous destruction by terrorists of property and lives in Washington and New York.
A fleeing resident of Nasarawa district said: "Some people have been jubilating because of what happened in the United States and I believe that must have encouraged them".
"It's a real war front. The sound of gunshots from the area is deafening. I saw at least one dead body", he claimed.
Another said troops cordoned parts of the city centre early yesterday to prevent the trouble spreading.
"Trouble started when a group of Moslem youths came out on the streets shouting 'Allahu Akbar' (God is greatest). Then fighting broke out", the resident said.
In a chat with The Guardian, CAN's General-Secretary Charles Obesola Williams said that last Friday's attack on Christians after the jumat prayers by Moslems was unwarranted.
Urging that those involved should be brought to book, CAN also blamed the attacks on Nigeria's continued membership of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).
"We denounce and deplore the ungodly action of Moslem fanatics in the north. It is clear to us that no government, Federal or state, has been able to curtail their excesses. They have regarded this country as a Moslem country especially as Nigeria is still in the OIC. We have already objected to the membership of OIC several times but it appears that the Federal Government is not ready to do anything about our objection. No doubt, no other factor other than this membership, is making the Moslem factions stronger everyday," Williams said.
He said: "The extra-ordinary push about it all is that the fanatics usually take to the street and embark on massive destruction of church buildings and human lives and this usually happens after their jumat prayers on Fridays after they must have called on their God. This makes one wonder whether we are worshipping the same God, as the Christian God that does not allow us to engage in this kind of brutality.
"But let us get it straight, the Christians have now been pushed to the wall and nobody should blame us if we decide to defend ourselves vigorously and relentlessly. We want peace and we are sure that there are other non-Christian citizens who cherish the peace and stability of this country".
The CAN chief also hinted that although the association is yet to get the full report of the situation in Jos, the governor claimed that so many number of churches, including the biggest in the city, have been burnt while a number of Christians have either been killed or injured.
National officials of CAN are expected to pay an assessment visit to Jos and other parts of Bauchi, Benue and Nasarawa states where religious upheavals have left devastating effects.
In condemning the crisis, Gaddafi said those behind it are "apostates" of Christianity and Islam.
His words: "In the name of the International Islamic Popular Command and on behalf of Africa, we condemn this act which has nothing to do with Islam or Christianity".
"Those who incited and perpetrated it are apostates of Islam and Christianity, as Allah, the Almighty makes no distinction between believers, be they followers of Mohammed or Jesus".
Gaddafi, who chairs the International Islamic Popular Command, said that "only satan and human beings distinguish between Moslems and Christians.
"In reality, this is an earth-related conflict and has nothing to do with our Lord, Allah, or religion".
He added: "This action, which we emphatically denounce, only serves the interests and wishes of the enemies of Africa and Nigeria, who seek to tear this country and undermine the African continent".
According to him, "a good believer never burns or destroys a place of worship," irrespective of whether it belongs to Moslems or Christians.
In a bid to avoid a spill over of the Jos crisis to Adamawa, Governor Boni Haruna has held an interactive session with religious leaders to take adequate measures to ensure peace in the state.
He urged the leaders to continue preaching the virtues of peace and tolerance of one another for peace and development of the state.
The governor explained that there would be no development without peace, as such, government would not compromise peace for anything. He called for love, tolerance and respect of one another despite the ethnic and religious plurality of the state.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives blamed the nation's security agencies for the religious disturbances and called for a wholesale investigation and prosecution of those behind it.
Shortly after the House reaction, the state governor, Joshua Dariye, after assessing the level of destruction and carnage in the coal city, promised a thorough investigation.
Deliberating on the crisis, the Representatives held that the failure of security agencies to read earlier signals as well as professional appropriation of intelligence reports encouraged the blood-letting.
In a motion under matters of urgent national importance by Lumumba Adeh, the lawmakers asked the Federal Government to send relief materials to the victims and a high-powered delegation to commiserate with the government and people of the state.
Meanwhile, the Wukari-Zaki Biam Federal Highway of Taraba and Benue states has been closed to motorists in the past three days following a renewed violent communal crisis between the Tiv of Benue and Jukuns of Taraba states.
A witness claimed that some Tiv mounted an "illegal road block at Jootar, Benue State, looting, manhandling and extorting money and valuables from unsuspecting motorists plying the route".
Expressing worry over the Jos disturbances, ACF asked the government to device ways of avoiding recurrence since they are capable of derailing the polity.
Rising from an emergency meeting, it also called for immediate cessation of hostilities.
It said: "These unfortunate clashes leading to disruption of peace, loss of life and property will have no beneficial effect.
"Such clashes will only breed suspicion and hatred and as a result, undermine progress and peace.
"We therefore, call for the complete cessation of hostilities. Such crises as witnessed in Jos, in almost all cases, do not arise spontaneously. They are instigated by relatively few individuals including those seeking relevance, who are unmindful of the consequences and actions on the populace".
There was pandemonium in Kaduna State when traders at the Central Market raised unusual alarm of violence.
The incident which occurred at about 7 p.m., said a witness, was caused by the arrest of a suspected thief.
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