Day: December 29, 2009

Nigeria: “Death toll from Nigeria clashes climbs to 70”
— AFP reports: ” The clashes erupted Monday between suspected members of a radical Islamist sect and security forces.”
— “The Kala-Kato sect, also known as Maitatsine, has been present in several Muslim-dominated states in northern Nigeria for decades.”
— “It led religious uprisings in 1980 and 1992 which claimed thousands of lives in the northern cities of Kano and Yola.”

— BBC: Nigeria police in deadly clash with sect in Bauchi
— “At least 38 people have died in clashes between security forces and members of a religious sect in the northern Nigerian state of Bauchi.”
— “The dead were mainly from a group calling itself Kala Kato. Two soldiers and a policeman were also killed.”
— “The fighting came after local people told authorities they were alarmed by open-air preaching by sect members.”
— “Such preaching was banned in the state after an uprising by another sect, Boko Haram, earlier this year.”
— “Hundreds of people were killed in the subsequent fighting across northern Nigeria.”
— “The BBC’s Caroline Duffield reports from Lagos that Kala Kato is a non-conformist Muslim sect made up of poor tradesmen, labourers and other working people.”
— “Some residents in Zango, just south of the city of Bauchi, have said that in recent days the mood of their preaching had become aggressive.”
— “The violence there began on Sunday morning. After some initial shooting the security forces retreated, before returning in greater numbers.”
— “Members of the group had armed themselves with machetes and cutlasses, and appeared ready to fight armed police and soldiers, she adds.”
— “A spokesman for the Bauchi state governor said the local military had been deployed, though other accounts spoke of a feared police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.”
— “The Associated Press news agency cited Bauchi state official Mohammed Maigari as saying sect members had gone on the rampage to demand the release of their leader.”
— “The sect leader had been arrested in connection with the killings of several Boko Haram members, AP reported.”

— Nigeria’s The Vanguard Reports: “2 soldiers, 6 others die in fresh Bauchi violence”
— “At least eight people were killed in Bauchi today as another Islamic religious sect, Kalo-Kato struck in Zango area throwing the state capital into pandemonium. The sect was demanding the release of its leader said to have been arrested by security agents.”
— “Among those reported killed were two soldiers and two security operatives who were among those deployed to quell the uprising as well as four children said to have been burnt when their house was torched by the rampaging Kalo-Kato sect members.”
— “The rampaging sect members dominated by youngsters of between 10 and 15 years torched some houses and attacked anyone who dared to stand in their way. The sect is said to be claiming link to the Maitasine sect of the 1980s.”
— “A resident of the area said they sensed trouble when the preacher of the sect during today’s morning prayers started denouncing other Islamic sects as infidels and condemning the action against the Boko Haram sect members when according to him, ‘they were preaching the truth.’ ”
— “An eyewitness, Kamal said the sect members descended on a listener who challenged the preachers before they went wild attacking anyone in sight and burning houses.”
— “Speaking to Vanguard on phone, Special Assistant to Governor Isa Yuguda on Media Affairs, Sanusi Mohammed said the situation has been brought under control.”
— ” ‘The problem was caused by some religious extremists fighting among themselves. It was not an inter-religious thing and it happened in Zango area and did not spread beyond there because government reacted promptly to bring it under control.’ ”
— ” ‘The situation is now calm and we have been calling on people not to panic or start relocating to barracks as is usually the case when things like this happen’, he said.”
— “Spokesman of the Bauchi State Police Command, Mohammed Barau also told journalists that the situation was under control and that a combined team of regular and anti-riot policemen have been deployed to the area.”

London Times: Nigeria: extremists unleash new ‘terror’
— “A desperate text arrives suddenly from the Rev Yanusa Nmadu, director of CSW Nigeria.
— “‘Bauchi boils again as a Muslim sect known as the Kalikato-Maitastene unleash terror on all those that do not belong to their sect,’ he says. ‘Reports reaching CSW Nigeria says there are deaths already including some members of the security agencies. We urge all to pray.'”