[ 2011-09-10 ]

Fresh Nigeria attacks kill 15
JOS, Nigeria (AFP) - Fresh overnight attacks
killed at least 15 people in Nigeria, the latest
in a wave of recent killings in an area beset by
sectarian violence, a local government official
said Saturday.

"Fifteen people were killed ... in Vwang district
of Jos south local government area of Plateau
state in a midnight attack," a government
spokesman Pam Ayuba said.

The attack in a central district on the outskirts
of the city of Jos, targeted predominantly
Christian ethnic farming villagers known as
Beroms.

More villagers were missing in what appeared to be
a wave of spiralling attacks suspected to be
staged by Fulani herdsmen from adjoining villages.
Some of the attacks in recent days have nearly
wiped out entire families.

"This is the third time such attacks are taking
place (in recent days) suggesting a premeditated
murder," he said.

Dozens of suspects have been arrested in
connection with some of the recent attacks.

Ayuba said "54 persons have been arrested so far
... the last few days."

Jos has been hit by waves of violence between
Christian and Muslim groups that have left
hundreds dead in recent years.

The area lies between the predominantly Christian
south and mainly Muslim north of Africa's most
populous nation.

The Geneva-based office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday expressed
concern at the resurgence of violence in central
Nigeria.

The renewed violence is the latest of woes for the
government of President Goodluck Jonathan which is
already under pressure to put an end to Islamist
bomb attacks mainly in the north of the country
and the capital Abuja.

A Nigerian Islamist sect known as Boko Haram has
claimed responsibility for an August 26 suicide
attack that killed at least 23 people at the UN
headquarters in Abuja.

Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation with 158
million people, divided roughly in half between a
mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian
south.

Source - AFP

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