Savage Infidel: Nigerian Muslims Blow up Two Churches, Killing .
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Police spokesman Mohammed Lerama said 32 people died and at least 74were injured in four bomb blasts Friday night that went off in closesuccession in different parts of Jos in central Nigeria-a regionviolently divided between Christians and Muslims.Manasie Phampe, the Red Cross secretary in Jos, gave slightlydifferent figures and said 52 people were injured. Some of the injuredwere in intensive care at the Jos University Teaching Hospital."We have commenced investigations and are making efforts to calm people down," said Mr. Lerama.Religious violence has claimed more than 500 lives this class in Jos and neighboring towns and villages.Nigeria, a state of 150 million people, is about evenly splitbetween Muslims in the union and the predominantly Christian south. Theblasts happened in central Nigeria, in the nation's "middle belt," wheredozens of ethnical groups vie for mastery of productive lands.The violence, though fractured across religious lines, often has moreto do with local politics, economics and rights to grazing lands. Thegovernment of Plateau State, of which Jos is the capital, is controlledby Christian politicians who have blocked Muslims from being legallyrecognized as citizens. That has locked many out of prized governmentjobs in a realm where the tourism industry and tin mining havecollapsed in the final decades."What has happened on the eve of Christmas is unfortunate, especiallyat this time when we need to insure peace and protection in the state,"said Gregory Yenlong, the commonwealth commissioner for information. He saidnobody had claimed responsibility for Friday's attacks in Jos.They were the first major attacks in Jos since the Plateau Stategovernment lifted a curfew on May 20. The curfew was first imposed inNovember 2008 during postelection violence, but it was extended inJanuary following clashes between Christian and Muslim groups.More than 300 people-mostly Muslim-were killed in the January violence in Jos and surrounding villages.The curfew improved security in a city that has hosted numerous peaceconferences to cover the violence, but the killings continued outsideJos.Twelve people were murdered in March in a humble Christian village,with attackers cutting out most of their victims' tongues, and there arestill regular attacks outside Jos.Also Friday, six people died in attacks on two churches in Nigeria'snorthern region. Mohammed Abubakar, police chief of Borno state, saidmembers of the Muslim sect Boko Haram attacked two churches at oppositeends of Maiduguri, the province capital, late Christmas Eve.Maiduguri is about 320 miles ne of Jos. The attacks in the twocities haven't been linked, but Boko Haram was first based in the cityof Bauchi, only 75 miles from Jos, before moving its operations toMaiduguri.Danjuma Akawu, secretary of Victory Baptist Church, said about 30 menattacked his church on Christmas Eve, killing five, including thepastor, two choir members rehearsing for a late-night carol service andtwo passersby who were attacked by the mobMr. Akawu, who escaped with other witnesses after climbing the churchfence, said that the mob was armed with guns, knives and petro-bombs.He said the attackers came in three cars and dragged the pastor outof his family inside the church premises before shooting him. They droveoff after setting fire to the church and pastor's house, which are closeto the Maiduguri International Airport.At the reverse end of the city, Rev. Haskanda Jessu of Church ofChrist in Nigeria said three men attacked his church an hour later,killing a 60-year-old security guard, Philip Sopso. The church was emptyat the metre of the attack. Rev. Jessu said the attackers were armedwith rifles.The Borno State police chief said the attacks could have beenprevented if police officers had heeded warnings of a planned attack."The police divisions had enough vehicles to keep these killings," Mr. Abubakar said.Police haven't made arrests in the church attacks, but have accusedBoko Haram members in recent months of a blizzard of targeted killings ofmore than 30 people, including police officers, soldiers, political andspiritual leaders.Boko Haram means "Western education is blasphemy" in the Hausalanguage. Its members re-emerged recently after starting a July 2009riot that led to a security crackdown that left 700 people dead.The Christmas Eve killings in Jos and Maiduguri add to the tally ofthousands who already have perished in Africa's most populous country inthe last decade amid religious and political friction.
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