Nigeria Rattled By Strikes, Sectarian Violence

13 January, 2012

 

Mr Ban Ki Moon
Secretary General of the United Nations
Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations,
S-378, New York, NY 10017
USA
Tel: +1 212 963 5012
Fax: +1 212 963 7055 or 2155
E-mail: ecu@un.org, inquiries@un.org

Re: Nigeria Rattled By Strikes, Sectarian Violence

Dear Mr Ban Ki Moon,

I am sharing my deepest concern regarding unceasing, accelerating incidents of bloodshed in Nigeria. Nigeria is torn by rising religious violence.  Nigerian government appears unable to stem attacks against Christians by Muslim militias and reprisals

 

A spree of bomb blasts and machine-gun attacks attributed to an Islamic militia targeting Nigeria's Christians and apparent reprisal attacks against Muslims have stoked fears the government is powerless to halt escalating religious violence in Africa's most populous country.

 

So far, no mass exodus on religious lines has taken place. But many Nigerians saw in the recent tit-for-tat killings a threat of religious pogroms that recalled the country's most violent period, the 1967-70 civil war. During that conflict, about two million Nigerians migrated back to their region of origin to escape the violence.

 

According to the media reports at least 61 people have died in the past week in attacks that appear to stem from the group's warning for Christians to leave Nigeria's north.

 

Boko Haram is the anti-Western and anti-government Islamist sect that has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks, mainly on Christian targets since Christmas.

 

The group released a 14-minute video on Wednesday, which shows the man regarded as the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, sitting between two Kalashnikov rifles, wearing a bullet-proof vest, as he attempts to justify the killings.In a YouTube video , the group's spiritual leader, Imam Abubakar Shekau, warned of more attacks against Christians, who include President Goodluck Jonathan.

 

According to media reports five people were killed in an attack on a mosque and an Islamic school this week.

 

According to Compass Direct News Service death Toll Climbs in Islamist Attacks in Nigeria's northeast. The report said Christians in Adamawa state came under attack by Boko Haram, which in the Hausa language means "Western education is sacrilege," over the weekend. On Friday night (Jan. 6), 11 people were killed and many others injured at the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in the Nasarawa area of Yola, the state capital.

 

According to BosNewsLife Africa Service at least 18 people died in Friday's attack, Red Cross officials said, bringing the death toll to 21 in Mubi alone. Earlier Gombe, on Thursday, January 5, at least 9 worshipers died when when gunfire sprayed the Deeper Life Church in Gombe, the capital of the African nation's Gombe state, according to latest figures released by rights group International Christian Concern (ICC).

 

Nigerian Muslims and Christians are both living in fear, as tension, suspicion and violence increase.

 

U.N. Human Rights chief Navi Pillay has called on Nigerian political and religious leaders to join together in efforts to halt sectarian violence in the country.

 

Mr Ban Ki Moon, Nigeria is a party to a number of international human rights treaties, which bind Nigeria to respect and ensure the human rights of all individuals within its territory. Nigeria is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

I urge your urgent intervention on the unceasing, accelerating incidents of bloodshed in Nigeria.

With more than 160 million people, Nigeria is one of the world's most populous countries.  Nigeria also produces about 2.4 million barrels of oil per day.  Renewed warfare in Nigeria could have a dramatic impact on energy prices and regional security.

Sincerely

William Nicholas Gomes

William's Desk

www.williamgomes.org

http://www.williamgomes.org/?p=312

--
William Nicholas Gomes
Journalist & Human Rights Activist
80/ B Bramon Chiron, Saydabad,
Dhaka-1203, Bangladesh.
Cell: +88 019 7 444 0 666
E-mail:William [at] williamgomes.org,editorbd[at]gmail.com
Skype: William.gomes9
Face book: www.facebook.com/williamnicholasgomes
Twitter: twitter.com/williamgomes
Web site :www.williamgomes.org

--
Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups.
For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
 
* Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/
* It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls.
* Read the latest breaking news, and more.