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Nigeria bodies stuffed in wells | Nigeria bodies stuffed in wells |
(20 minutes later) | |
More victims of deadly religious clashes in central Nigeria have been found, with scores of bodies stuffed in wells and sewage pits. | |
Up to 150 bodies have been found in Kuru Karama village, 30km (18 miles) from the city of Jos, where the violence erupted last Sunday. | |
Correspondents say elders hid in holes for seven hours to escape the violence. | Correspondents say elders hid in holes for seven hours to escape the violence. |
An exact death toll is not known but overall up to 300 are thought to have died in the Muslim-Christian clashes. | |
Several thousand people fled their homes. | Several thousand people fled their homes. |
'Burned alive' | |
The BBC's Caroline Duffield in Jos says many of the bodies found in Kuru Karama had massive burns, other victims were hacked to death or shot. | |
JOS, PLATEAU STATE Deadly riots in 2001 and 2008City divided into Christian and Muslim areas Divisions accentuated by system of classifying people as indigenes and settlers Hausa-speaking Muslims living in Jos for decades are still classified as settlers Settlers find it difficult to stand for electionDivisions also exist along party lines: Christians mostly back the ruling PDP; Muslims generally supporting the opposition ANPP In pictures: Nigeria riot aftermath | |
She says there are still more bodies scattered in the bush beyond the village but the areas are not safe for volunteer workers to enter. | |
Umar Baza, head of Kuru Karama village, told Agence France-Presse news agency: "So far we have picked 150 bodies from the wells. But 60 more people are still missing." | |
The Human Rights Watch group said armed men had attacked the mostly Muslim Kuru Karama on 19 January. | |
"After surrounding the town, they hunted down and attacked Muslim residents, some of whom had sought refuge in homes and a local mosque, killing many as they tried to flee and burning many others alive," it said in a statement. | |
It quoted one villager as saying: "I came back on Wednesday evening escorted by the military. I saw dead bodies everywhere. The corpses were there, but now you can just see the blood on the ground. None of the houses are standing." | |
The group called on Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan to order an immediate criminal investigation into reports of the massacre. | |
Mr Jonathan deployed the military after four days of clashes. | |
He has been issuing orders while President Umaru Yar'Adua receives medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. | |
The security forces have now restored order and a curfew has been partially lifted. | The security forces have now restored order and a curfew has been partially lifted. |
But correspondents say the atmosphere is still tense. | But correspondents say the atmosphere is still tense. |
Jos, the capital of Plateau state, lies at the point where Nigeria's Muslim north and predominantly Christian south meet. |