Curfew in Nigeria after 21 people die in ethnic conflict

The Nigerian state of Kaduna declared a 24-hour curfew after 21 people were killed this week in an area hit by ethnic and religious tension, media reports said.

According to spokesman for the Nigerian state Samuel Aruwan, the Kaduna authorities on Wednesday decided to take this measure to protect lives and property and end violence, Efe news reported .

A total of 14 people were shot dead in Kaura district, while seven others were killed in Jemaa in recent days, both districts are located in the northern state of Kaduna.

Suspicions point to the Fulani people, who are Muslims in this Christian-dominated area.

Populated by Christians and Muslims, Kaduna is one of the epicentres of tension between citizens of these two religions in Nigeria, a country of 173 million people with a Muslim majority in the north, with Christians in the south.

Such murders have raised fears of ethnic and religious clashes that will affect the stability of the African country, which has suffered from terrorism by the Boko Haram group since 2009.

--IANS

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