Nigeria: Clashes Between Islamic Militants & Police Kill 150

Today, a gun battle went on for hours in the town of Potiskum in Northern Nigeria between the police and the members of a Muslim group. A dozen people were killed in the gun battle. In the last two days, various international news organization ( BBC, AFP) report that around 150 people were killed.

Nigeria’s population of 150 million is almost evenly split between Muslims in the North of the country, and Christians and Animists in the South. In Northern Nigeria, where the clashes took place, Islamic Sharia law is in place.

On Sunday, at least 70 Nigerian militants armed with guns & hand grenades attacked the police station in the Northern city of Bauchi. A nurse at a Bauchi hospital told the Agence France Presse that a total of 42 bodies were brought to the hospital on Sunday.

Overnight, a BBC correspondent reported that an additional 100 people were killed on Monday.

A police spokesman, Mohammed Barau, said that the fighters belonged to a group called Boko Haram, which is sometimes referred to as the Nigerian Taliban. Their goal is to impose Sharia- or Islamic law- on all Nigeria.

One of the group Boko Haran’s member told Reuters that his group wanted “To clean the Nigerian system which is polluted by Western education, and uphold Sharia all over the country. The police has been arresting our leaders, that is why we decided to retaliate.”

The town of Bauchi is usually at the epicenter of the clashes between Muslims & Christians. It is located on a line that splits the predominantly Muslim population in the North and the Christians & Animists in the South.

Last February, sectarian clashes between Muslims & Christians erupted in the very same region after Muslims attacked Christians and set churches on fire in retaliation for the burning of two mosques.