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Nigeria

Nigeria's northeast state imposes curfew after religious crisis

By Alli Hakeem
Abuja_(dpa) _ A Nigerian state on Monday imposed a curfew on its capital following religious riots in the area, but a local official rejected reports that people had died.

The curfew was put in place for Bauchi, the capital of the state with the same name in Nigeria's northeast. At least 30 vehicles were damaged by protesters, but a local official said the riots were unrelated to cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed that have spurred violence in several countries.

Commissioner for Information Ibrahim Zailani said at the end of an emergency security meeting on Monday that the curfew begins at 1800 GMT and ends at 0700 GMT daily.

Zailani rejected the claim that the riots are related to the cartoons, instead stating that they resulted from a teacher taking a Koran from a student.

"The female teacher, who was conducting the class only seized the Koran from the student, a move, which was misinterpreted by some students," Zailani added.

He also said that not a single life was lost during the crisis, contrary to widespread reports.

Zailani added that troops had also been ordered into the streets of the capital city to assist the police in arresting violators.

"The soldiers and the police have been instructed to safeguard lives and property and protect places of worship," the commissioner said. A police official said the situation was under control and that an unspecified number of suspects had been arrested in connection with the protests.

There were riots in Maiduguri, the capital of the Borno state in the northeast of Nigeria last Saturday over the publication of the cartoons.

The Borno state council of the Christian Association of Nigeria said Monday that last Saturday's riot in the city over the cartoons of Prophet Mohammed claimed the lives of 50 victims.

The police had stated that 17 persons died in the riot.

The association is the umbrella body of all churches and adherents of Christianity in Nigeria.

Reverend Joel Billy, vice chairman of the association, said 40 churches and several business premises belonging to Christians were also destroyed in the Maiduguri riot, and not 80 churches as had been reported by the police.

Billy said the state's Christian community had lost confidence in the state government's security network and called on the federal government to take charge of security in the state. dpa ah re

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