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 The BBC's Ben Brown reports"Kaduna is a city that stinks of death"  real 28k  |
Nigerian riots kill hundreds
Hundreds died during the fighting in Kaduna
The full scale of ethnic and religious violence in Aba in south-east Nigeria this week is now emerging with reports that hundreds have been killed.
Diplomatic and police sources have said that the death toll from attacks by local Christian Ibos on Muslims from the Hausa-speaking north on Monday and Tuesday is more than 300.
Diplomatic and police sources have said that the death toll from attacks by local Christian Ibos on Muslims from the Hausa-speaking north on Monday and Tuesday is more than 300.
We have set out this morning to pick up the rest of the bodies  |
Aba police officer
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Rioting flared as a backlash to violence in Kaduna in northern Nigeria last week, which left hundreds dead in clashes between Christians and Muslims over the introduction of Sharia Islamic law.
The Sharia issue has led to widespread fighting between Muslims and Christians, in what is seen as the most serious threat to the nation's unity since the Biafran war 30 years ago.
Troops arrived in Aba on Tuesday and are reported to have taken control of the situation.
President to speak
Nigerian President Oluesegun Obasanjo is set to make a national television address on Wednesday evening to appeal for peace, following the violence.
The Sharia issue has led to widespread fighting between Muslims and Christians, in what is seen as the most serious threat to the nation's unity since the Biafran war 30 years ago.
Troops arrived in Aba on Tuesday and are reported to have taken control of the situation.
President to speak
Nigerian President Oluesegun Obasanjo is set to make a national television address on Wednesday evening to appeal for peace, following the violence.
 Muslim-dominated northern states were moving towards full Sharia
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Earlier, Christian leaders in Nigeria welcomed Tuesday's announcement by the government that the predominantly Muslim northern states have agreed to suspend the full introduction of Islamic Sharia law to help bring peace.
But they said they did not feel at all triumphant, and would be praying for continued calm.
The government's move follows a meeting in the capital Abuja between President Obasanjo and governors of Nigeria's 36 six states.
But they said they did not feel at all triumphant, and would be praying for continued calm.
The government's move follows a meeting in the capital Abuja between President Obasanjo and governors of Nigeria's 36 six states.
It was agreed that, as far as Sharia is concerned, we will now revert to the status quo |
Atiku Abubaka Vice-president |
They agreed to maintain the existing penal code and to limit the use of Sharia to dealing with family matters within the Muslim community.
Muslim reaction to the suspension has so far been muted, although the governor of Zamfara State, who led the campaign for Sharia, said he hoped there would now be peace.
Zamfara had already begun to implement Sharia as part of its judicial system, while Niger and Sokoto had approved legislation to implement Sharia.
Other state governments had expressed an interest in adopting Sharia - among them Kaduna, where the proposals triggered last week's fighting.
Muslim reaction to the suspension has so far been muted, although the governor of Zamfara State, who led the campaign for Sharia, said he hoped there would now be peace.
Zamfara had already begun to implement Sharia as part of its judicial system, while Niger and Sokoto had approved legislation to implement Sharia.
Other state governments had expressed an interest in adopting Sharia - among them Kaduna, where the proposals triggered last week's fighting.
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