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Tuesday 28 July 2009

Religious violence in the north

Oh dear, I don't know how many of you have read this. Religious violence in the Northern part of Nigeria which started in Bauchi on Sunday, has spread to Kano, Borno, Maiduguri and Yobe leaving over 150 people dead in two days. A totally sad thing to happen in our nation.

Read the story below.

Nigerian 'Taliban' offensive leaves 150 dead
Islamic group opposed to western education, Boko Haram, launches attacks across four northern provinces


Dead Nigerians are brought to a police station in the northeastern city of Bauchi after a gun battle in the early morning. Photograph: Ardo Hazzad/Reuters.

A self-styled "Taliban" intent on imposing sharia law on all Nigerians widened its offensive yesterday in violence that has left 150 people dead.

Boko Haram, an Islamic group opposed to western education, has launched attacks across four northern provinces over the last two days and declared its intention to fight to the death.

Civilians were pulled from their cars and shot, their corpses then left scattered around the streets, witnesses told the BBC. Its reporter counted 100 bodies, mostly those of militants, near police headquarters in Maiduguri, Borno state. The police and army were on patrol, firing into the air, as hundreds of people fled their homes.

Witnesses said a separate gun battle raged for hours in Potiskum, Yobe state, where members of Boko Haram chanted "God is great!" as they set a police station ablaze. Two people were confirmed dead and the police made 23 arrests.

Three people were killed and more than 33 arrested in Wudil, 12 miles from Kano, the biggest city in northern Nigeria, while the town's senior police officer was wounded.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has more than 200 ethnic groups and is roughly equally split between Christians and Muslims. The predominantly Muslim north has progressively ushered in a stricter enforcement of sharia law since 2000.

Boko Haram, which models itself on the Taliban but has no known link, began its string of attacks in the northeastern city of Bauchi on Sunday after some of its members were arrested.
Around 70 militants armed with guns and grenades targeted a police station but were driven back by officers and soliders who then raided neighbourhoods, resulting in at least 55 deaths and up to 200 arrests. The Bauchi state governor imposed a night-time curfew as a result.

Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf, leader of Boko Haram, which literally means "education is prohibited", claimed that the government had been targeting his followers and they would never surrender.

He told Nigeria's Daily Trust newspaper: "What I said previously that we are going to be attacked by the authorities has manifested itself in Bauchi, where about 40 of our brothers were killed, their mosque and homes burnt down completely and several others were injured and about 100 are presently in detention. Therefore, we will not agree with this kind of humiliation, we are ready to die together with our brothers and we would never concede to non-belief in Allah."

He added: "I will not give myself up. If Allah wishes, they will arrest me; if Allah does not wish, they will never arrest me. But I will never give up myself, not after 37 of my followers are killed in Bauchi. Is it right to kill them, is it right to shoot human beings? To surrender myself means what they did is right. Therefore, we are ready to fight to die.
"Democracy and the current system of education must be changed otherwise this war that is yet to start would continue for long."

Bauchi, Yobe, Borno and Kano are among the 12 of Nigeria's 36 states that started a stricter enforcement of Islamic law in 2000 – a decision that has alienated sizeable Christian minorities and sparked bouts of sectarian violence that has killed thousands.

Clashes in Bauchi in February killed at least 11 people and wounded dozens. A Muslim group attacked Christians and burned churches in reprisals over the burning of two mosques, which Muslims blamed on Christians.

Last November, more than 700 people were killed in two days of fighting in the central city of Jos after a disputed election triggered the worst fighting between Muslim and Christian gangs in years.

Boko Haram is not connected to the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the prominent rebel group responsible for a campaign of violence that has battered Africa's biggest energy sector, located in Nigeria, since early 2006.

Source: Guardian UK.
God help us...

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

honestly,those northern muslims are a real pain the behind!!

Shadenonconform said...

This is so scary...I don't know what else to say.

Anonymous said...

For a story happening in Nigeria, should your source not come from Nigeria? Guardian U.K????

Linda as a person currently in the dat region (Bauchi), I would appreciate that you get facts correctly before posting this up, not adding to the drama and hysterics associated with news coming from Nigeria.

Lily said...

Sick!!! Sick!!! Sick!!! Black man killing his fellow black man. That is why Africa will never progress!!! There is absolutely no reason we should carry arms and kill our fellow brothers and sisters. Not in the name of religion or any other reason!!! I feel sick to my stomach reading this!!!

Ugo Dosh said...

hmmm....i just saw some one there and thought it was my maths teacher. But this mallams dey vex!

Ugo Dosh said...

i just saw some one in that picture and thought it was my maths teacher. But this mallams dey vex!

Anonymous said...

i think d time has come when we should let d north go and form its own country. these pple are just trouble makers. so we should go without education cos their ignorant asses dnt like school and we should all become muslims. may allah fire all of them.

J.

chayomao said...

Linda,
i heard on Sunday that it was only in Bauchi and about 42 dead. was talking to my dad yday he was like, it has spread oh!
Nawaaa...
what is their agenda is my own? Taliban has a plan! what is theirs?

Anonymous said...

Wow, I really appreciate you reporting this news, but that picture is so gruesome and shouldn't be displayed for the world to see without some type of advance notification. If you must display it, then may I suggest a "warning" or something to that effect, warning your readers that the image we are aboout to see is gruesome and may be disturbing to some. Thanks

Anonymous said...

Omg this is sad!!!!i hope it doesnt get worse o............let the prayers begin

Anonymous said...

What a bloody shame that we are still this stupid and ignorant in this day and age. We have stupid leaders in our country who are watching this happen, that is to show you how futile all our leaders are. Instead of these bastards showing their power to protect the environment they use it to destroy it. A day would come when all this leaders and terrorist would be put to death mark my word

Anonymous said...

linda i love ur site but pls stop putting graphic images up...especially without prior notice/warning..we can do without that..made my heart skip a bit

Anonymous said...

My heart is hurting. Why can't we all just live in peace. May the souls of the departed ones rest in perfect peace.

nduyeobong said...

this country is dying speedily.this is just one of the many manifestations.
let's not search the rubble for praises. or strength has long been buried. what we have now is the remains of what used to be a heritage. our dear own native land is dead not dying. even those of us the preach patriotism have in our little hearts long given up on this country. i was born here, i have lived all my life here and i'm not too faraway from the fate of the common man on our streets, the poor of the poor. so i can definitely say with authority- our dear own native land is dead not dying.that's about leaders but the recent event shows we have a dose of all sorts of shit the world has to offer.........deaths, deaths, and more deaths.

Anonymous said...

When will these animals in the north learn????
If they want to model themselves according to the taliban, cant they do their shit without resulting to violence.

That is the reason why I say Nigeria should be divided.. the northerners should go and form their own sharia country and kill themselves off in the name of sharia.

Honestly it is really frustrating...I just can´t.

Anonymous said...

GOD HAVE MERCY ON DIS NATION CALLED NIGERIA.............LINDA HOPE U A DOING GREAT? KK

Anonymous said...

God help us oo

ciaa said...

Oh wow what can I Say? First of all I Adore your blog .I am not from Nigeria but as a human being My heart goes to all the families that lost their love ones. It is ridiculous that in 2009 we are still foolish and use the religion as weapon. I m Muslim and nowhere in Koran it says that you should kill other people to prove your point. I am sick and tired of hearing all over the world that extremists are killing innocent people in the name of Islam. I wish we could all live happy and in peace .
Love XoXo

ciaa said...

Oh wow what can I Say? First of all I Adore your blog .I am not from Nigeria but as a human being My heart goes to all the families that lost their love ones. It is ridiculous that in 2009 we are still foolish and use the religion as weapon. I m Muslim and nowhere in Koran it says that you should kill other people to prove your point. I am sick and tired of hearing all over the world that extremists are killing innocent people in the name of Islam. I wish we could all live happy and in peace .
Love XoXo

Anonymous said...

For those of you commenting saying things like northerners should go and form their own sharia country and calling northerners animals: There is no need taking sides, the Niger delta militants are killing innocent souls too: The best we can do is come together and help one another.....

Anonymous said...

Linda I appreciate you posting this info. but please next time warn ur bloggers way ahead of time.I was eating steak when I saw those dead bodies.thanks for ruining my diner. Please next time post a bright sign wanring readers of gruesome content firts

Unknown said...

This is too sad...i'm speechless.

uche said...

AUNTY LIN, UR BLOG ROCKS. THIS NEWS HAS AGAIN CONFIRMED MY WORST FEARS ABOUT THIS NORTHERNERS. IM IBO THOUGH BUT I ACTUALLY LIKE NORTHERNERS. I HAVE YET SWORN AGAIN THAT I SHALL NOT, WOULD NOT AND CANNOT SERVE IN THE NORTH ABEG. WAT DOES ALL THIS MADNESS AMOUNT TO PLEASE? DOES THIS KILLIN MAKE THEM HAPPY AND FULFILLED ? AND AFTER THE KILLINGS .... WAT NEXT PLEASE. EACH TIME THIS HAPPENS THE GOVT ACTS DEAF AND DUMB. I PRAY THAT GOD WOULD SEND DOWN FIRE AS IN THE DAYS OF ELIJAH..... IM REALLY SCARED.

The Activist said...

All these violence has got to stop for God's sake, it's senseless and meaningless!

'Kego Onyido said...

In the end, its not about letting the North rather its about addressing the fundamentals that lead to these sad situation: Ignorance (on the part of the people) and Greed (on the part of the leaders). If we all fight to make sure that every child is educated and enlightened and bold enough to hold our 'rulers' truly accountable, so that we address the issues of energy, infrastructure and education, then half of our problems would be solved.

The North has serious poverty issues while their leadres live like kings just as the South is now a a play ground for kidnappers due to the greed of leaders. We, the elite, who keep quiet or scurry away to obod oyibo, are part of the problem.

Until we all realise that we are in this together and that every child/youth who goes to bed hungry or without a job/trade is connected to us and portends a danger to the so called 'good life' we've worked hard for, we still have a LOOOOOOOOOOONG way to go.

This is why I get sad when Nigerians talk of wearing designer labels et al......its just sad cos we should focus on our fundamentals b4 jumping the gun. What's with a first lady wearing over $50k in clothes, jewelry and shoes/bags in a day! and then talk about lack of funds to get boreholes, medical supplies etc for women/children???????

Lets pactice personal accountabilty and live a life based on true values!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, from yr comments,guess u also r like dem...Why generalise eh? Islam in no way preaches what this people practise....pls get yr facts straight,

AL said...

Why don't nigerian citizens carry guns like in America to defend themselves?

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