At least 20 people were killed and dozens of others were injured today following a clash between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria’s central Plateau State, a witness said. The state assistant commissioner of police, Sotonye Wakama, confirmed four people were killed but said the figure could be higher. He said he was yet to get full details of the Islamist inspired terrorist mayhem violence in Bakin Chiyawa town.
Inuwa Mohammed, a resident in the town who said he witnessed the unrest, told journalists in Jos, the state capital, that he saw at least 20 dead bodies. "More than 20 people were killed. Corpses littered the area," he said. Many houses were burnt and property worth millions of naira were destroyed in the unrest, which forced many residents to flee to neighbouring Nassarawa state, said Mohammed.
| That's what smart residents usually do. |
Security officials last week intercepted a lorry-load of arms in Shendam city, which shares a border with Bakin Chiyawa.
| Did that lead to any overtime truncheon work? Apparently not. |
The state has since the return of civilian rule in 1999 been the scene of ethnic and religious unrest in which hundreds of people were killed. Wase, a largely Muslim community in the state, has in recent years been locked in conflict with the Christian villagers of nearby Tarok and Langtang. About 20 people were killed last month in violence in the area.
| Wonder how many victims came from the RoP? |
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