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Analysis: Nigeria pulls back from brink
Violence has scuppered plans to extend Sharia in the north
By Nigeria correspondent Barnaby Phillips
The decision to withdraw plans to suspend the full introduction of Islamic Sharia law is intended to pull Nigeria back from the brink of a rapidly expanding religious and ethnic conflict.
"This is a triumph for Nigerian nationalism; we've put the Nigerian nation before all else" said Dr Doyin Okupe, spokesman for President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The decision to withdraw plans to suspend the full introduction of Islamic Sharia law is intended to pull Nigeria back from the brink of a rapidly expanding religious and ethnic conflict.
"This is a triumph for Nigerian nationalism; we've put the Nigerian nation before all else" said Dr Doyin Okupe, spokesman for President Olusegun Obasanjo.
 Hundreds died after violence erupted in Kaduna
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Whatever misgivings the northern governors may have about the governemnt announcement in private, they are publicly toeing the line.
Governor Ahmed Sani of Zamfara state, who has led the campaign for Sharia since October said an agreement had been reached in the interests of peace.
Christian leaders have, predictably, welcomed the announcement, whilst being cautious not to sound triumphant.
"There's no question of winners and losers," said Father Matthew Kukah, secretary-general of the Nigerian Catholic Church.
Grave crisis
The Sharia issue has presented Nigeria's fledgling democracy with a grave crisis.
The fighting between Christians and Muslims which erupted last week in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna, and in which hundreds of people were killed, later spread to the south-eastern city of Aba and other cities in the south-east.
Governor Ahmed Sani of Zamfara state, who has led the campaign for Sharia since October said an agreement had been reached in the interests of peace.
Christian leaders have, predictably, welcomed the announcement, whilst being cautious not to sound triumphant.
"There's no question of winners and losers," said Father Matthew Kukah, secretary-general of the Nigerian Catholic Church.
Grave crisis
The Sharia issue has presented Nigeria's fledgling democracy with a grave crisis.
The fighting between Christians and Muslims which erupted last week in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna, and in which hundreds of people were killed, later spread to the south-eastern city of Aba and other cities in the south-east.
 Many are leaving potential trouble spots fearing further unrest
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The news of the violence in the south-east would have been met with a grim sense of foreboding by President Olusegun Obasanjo, but it did spur the government into decisive action after months of prevarication.
The religious dispute over the proposed introduction of Islamic law, or Sharia, has rapidly taken on an ethnic dimension.
In the Nigerian context, where politics, religion and ethnicity are closely related, it was always a likely development.
There is a substantial Ibo population in Kaduna - many of them had their properties destroyed in last week's riots, whilst some lost their lives.
Angry youths in Aba decided to retaliate.
Now Hausas are reported to have fled from several other cities in south-eastern Nigeria, whilst Ibos in the north are closing their shops and heading south.
The cycle of violence must be stopped - urgently.
Tensions exploding
It is only ten months since President Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in, bringing a welcome end to 15 corrupt and repressive years of military rule.
President Obasanjo always knew he faced an enormous task in putting the country's economy back on its feet.
The religious dispute over the proposed introduction of Islamic law, or Sharia, has rapidly taken on an ethnic dimension.
In the Nigerian context, where politics, religion and ethnicity are closely related, it was always a likely development.
There is a substantial Ibo population in Kaduna - many of them had their properties destroyed in last week's riots, whilst some lost their lives.
Angry youths in Aba decided to retaliate.
Now Hausas are reported to have fled from several other cities in south-eastern Nigeria, whilst Ibos in the north are closing their shops and heading south.
The cycle of violence must be stopped - urgently.
Tensions exploding
It is only ten months since President Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in, bringing a welcome end to 15 corrupt and repressive years of military rule.
President Obasanjo always knew he faced an enormous task in putting the country's economy back on its feet.
 Muslims are in the majority in the north
|
But it is now apparent that the fragile framework of Nigerian unity, always a precarious concept, had been undermined almost beyond repair during the years the generals were in power.
Growing poverty and disenchantment with political leaders have exacerbated deep lying ethnic and religious rivalries.
Now that the repressive hand of the army has been lifted, pent-up tensions are exploding.
Nigeria's police force was allowed to decay under the military.
Poorly trained and badly paid, it is ill-equipped to deal with the current crisis.
It is no surprise that the government had to call the army onto the streets of Kaduna to restore order.
Nigeria holds its breath
Many Nigerians are blaming President Obasanjo for allowing the Sharia crisis to drag on for several months.
Since Zamfara announced its decision to introduce a full Sharia code, several other northern states said they would follow suit.
Muslims argue passionately that Sharia was practised in the North long before the arrival of the British colonialists at the end of the 19th century.
And, in any-case, aspects of Sharia were subsequently incorporated into the penal code used in northern Nigeria.
There is no doubt that under the terms of Nigeria's new constitution, an individual state within the federation has the right to practice certain aspects of Sharia; the controversy is over what limits there are on its application.
For the moment, Nigerians are holding their breath; if Muslim leaders can convince their people to accept the suspension of plans to introduce a full Sharia code, the country may have pulled back from the abyss.
Growing poverty and disenchantment with political leaders have exacerbated deep lying ethnic and religious rivalries.
Now that the repressive hand of the army has been lifted, pent-up tensions are exploding.
Nigeria's police force was allowed to decay under the military.
Poorly trained and badly paid, it is ill-equipped to deal with the current crisis.
It is no surprise that the government had to call the army onto the streets of Kaduna to restore order.
Nigeria holds its breath
Many Nigerians are blaming President Obasanjo for allowing the Sharia crisis to drag on for several months.
Since Zamfara announced its decision to introduce a full Sharia code, several other northern states said they would follow suit.
Muslims argue passionately that Sharia was practised in the North long before the arrival of the British colonialists at the end of the 19th century.
And, in any-case, aspects of Sharia were subsequently incorporated into the penal code used in northern Nigeria.
There is no doubt that under the terms of Nigeria's new constitution, an individual state within the federation has the right to practice certain aspects of Sharia; the controversy is over what limits there are on its application.
For the moment, Nigerians are holding their breath; if Muslim leaders can convince their people to accept the suspension of plans to introduce a full Sharia code, the country may have pulled back from the abyss.
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