Fighting in Central Nigeria Leaves 300 People Dead

Jonathan - facing challenges

According to reports coming out of central Nigeria, Hausa-Fulani herders from surrounding hills attacked villagers in Dogo Nahawa, just south of the state capital Jos, shooting into the air before cutting those who came out of their homes with machetes. At least two other communities close by were also targeted, in an area close to where sectarian clashes killed hundreds of people earlier this year. The country’s acting president, Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the security forces to hunt down those behind clashes involving Muslim herders and Christian villagers in which more than 300 people are  said to have been killed. The Plateau State Commissioner for Information Gregory Yenlong has confirmed that more than 300 people, including women and children, had died.

The Acting President had placed security forces on red alert to try to prevent reprisal attacks spreading into neighbouring states.”Reports reaching us indicated marauding bands launched a flurry of attacks on certain communities in the state, causing considerable death and injury,” officials said in a statement. “The Acting President has directed that the security services undertake strategic initiatives to confront and defeat these roving bands of killers” the statement continued.

Most of the bodies  about 120 of them lying in Dogo Nahawa were charred, others had machete wounds across their faces. others taken to mortuaries in Jos. There are also reports that some of the dead had been shot. It seems the shooting was just meant to bring people from their houses and then when people came out they started cutting them with machetes.

© 2010, Newstime Africa. All rights reserved. – Reproduction of Newstime Africa content on any other news medium without the prior consent or approval of the publishers is forbidden, and in direct contravention of International copyright laws. Violators will be pursued and prosecuted.