Violence spreads in Nigerian city, curfew extended

JOS, Nigeria

Clashes between Muslim and Christian gangs broke out again on Tuesday in the capital of Nigeria's Plateau state, killing dozens and forcing police to impose a 24-hour curfew on the city.

A police official, who declined to be identified, said as many as 60 people might have been killed since Sunday when clashes started. This could not be independently confirmed.

Police initially imposed a night-time curfew in Jos on Sunday to ease tension and prevent a repeat of clashes in November 2008, in which hundreds of residents were killed. Violence flared again on Tuesday, forcing police to extend the curfew.

"In view of this situation in town, I hereby declare a 24-hour curfew starting from now," said Gregory Anyating, the state's police commissioner.

Residents said sporadic gunfire could be heard in many neighbourhoods and several houses were on fire.

"As early as 4 a.m. (0300 GMT), we started hearing gunshots and machinegun fire and this has gone on for hours. I saw soldiers moving into town and I can see smoke coming from many places," said Dr. Aboi Madaki, who works at the Jos University Teaching Hospital.

A Red Cross spokesman said the agency was sending 10 workers from their Nigerian headquarters in Abuja to help reinforce their office in Jos.

This week's violence started after an argument over the rebuilding of homes destroyed in the 2008 clashes, the worst fighting between Muslims and Christians in years in Africa's most populous country.

Nigeria has roughly equal numbers of Christians and Muslims, although traditional animist beliefs underpin many people's faiths.

More than 200 ethnic groups generally live peacefully side-by-side in the West African country, although 1 million people were killed in a civil war between 1967 and 1970 and there have been outbreaks of religious unrest since then.

At least 40 people were killed last month in clashes between Nigerian security forces and members of an Islamic sect in the northern city of Bauchi.