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CNN Live Today

Miss World Riots

Aired November 22, 2002 - 10:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We are following a developing story out of African nation of Nigeria this morning, where as many as 100 people have been killed and hundreds injured in rioting between Christians and Muslims. Now the violence appears to have been sparked, at least in part, by a beauty pageant. We've got our reporters there, and we;re trying to get in touch with Jeff Koinage, who's our reporter in Nigeria, but right now, we have with us on the phone, George Bennett, who is with the Red Cross there in Lagos, Nigeria.
Mr. Bennett, are you there?

GEORGE BENNETT, RED CROSS: Yes, I'm here.

HARRIS: We've heard these reports about maybe up to 100 people being dead and maybe 500 others injured. What do you know?

BENNETT: We don't have accurate figures; it's very difficult to get figures in this kind of situation. But we see scores of people have been killed in the rioting, and probably out of 500 people have been wounded. The Red Cross Nigerian National Red Cross volunteers and staff are helping to -- first aid and take people to hospitals. The situation now has quieted down quite a lot since yesterday.

HARRIS: How long has it been going on. We've seen reports that it may have been going on for days now?

BENNETT: The rioting really broke out yesterday. It followed an article in this day's newspaper, one of the leading national newspapers in Nigeria, which was considered offensive to Muslim people by at least some Muslim groups, and it was talking about the Prophet Mohammed and the upcoming world beauty pageant which is being held this year in Nigeria, and also it's the time of Ramadan, which the Muslim fasting period. So this triggered off rioting, and there have been some churches and some people killed, and the Red Cross is moving into help.

But now there's been a curfew. The authorities, secular and religious authorities are trying to calm the situation, and today, it is relatively calm.

HARRIS: Mr. Bennett, do you know whether or not the president has been protesting in the violence or has administration been fomenting it, because we've seen various reports here about the source of the irritation among the Muslims in that country?

BENNETT: Well, I couldn't comment on the political issue, but Obasanjo has been following her normal routines. He's been actually visiting Lagos state here, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) here today and yesterday.

The government is very concerned about the situation there. There have been problems before in Nigeria, ethnic clashes and just clashes. The authorities in no way trying to stir anything up other than to calm the situation.

HARRIS: How about organizations like yours, the Red Cross and perhaps anyone who is affiliated with the Miss World Pageant, are you concerned about their safety or your safety at all?

BENNETT: Well, we obviously look to our safety, but our job is to support the national society. We work with our colleagues in the international community of the Red Cross, who are also monitoring the situation very closely.

We will go in with support, additional support, for the national society if it's necessary, but we have helped with the ICLC to train members of the volunteer staff, and the official staff of the Nigerian Red Cross society, and all the 36 states of the Federation of Nigeria, and we've also prepositioned a team there for helping with wounded people or helping people who may be displaced. So we have contingency plans to deal with this kind of situation.

HARRIS: We'll keep our eye on the situation from our vantage point, and we'd like to talk with you later on, sir, George Bennett, to check how things are progressing in Nigeria.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 22, 2002 - 10:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We are following a developing story out of African nation of Nigeria this morning, where as many as 100 people have been killed and hundreds injured in rioting between Christians and Muslims. Now the violence appears to have been sparked, at least in part, by a beauty pageant. We've got our reporters there, and we;re trying to get in touch with Jeff Koinage, who's our reporter in Nigeria, but right now, we have with us on the phone, George Bennett, who is with the Red Cross there in Lagos, Nigeria.
Mr. Bennett, are you there?

GEORGE BENNETT, RED CROSS: Yes, I'm here.

HARRIS: We've heard these reports about maybe up to 100 people being dead and maybe 500 others injured. What do you know?

BENNETT: We don't have accurate figures; it's very difficult to get figures in this kind of situation. But we see scores of people have been killed in the rioting, and probably out of 500 people have been wounded. The Red Cross Nigerian National Red Cross volunteers and staff are helping to -- first aid and take people to hospitals. The situation now has quieted down quite a lot since yesterday.

HARRIS: How long has it been going on. We've seen reports that it may have been going on for days now?

BENNETT: The rioting really broke out yesterday. It followed an article in this day's newspaper, one of the leading national newspapers in Nigeria, which was considered offensive to Muslim people by at least some Muslim groups, and it was talking about the Prophet Mohammed and the upcoming world beauty pageant which is being held this year in Nigeria, and also it's the time of Ramadan, which the Muslim fasting period. So this triggered off rioting, and there have been some churches and some people killed, and the Red Cross is moving into help.

But now there's been a curfew. The authorities, secular and religious authorities are trying to calm the situation, and today, it is relatively calm.

HARRIS: Mr. Bennett, do you know whether or not the president has been protesting in the violence or has administration been fomenting it, because we've seen various reports here about the source of the irritation among the Muslims in that country?

BENNETT: Well, I couldn't comment on the political issue, but Obasanjo has been following her normal routines. He's been actually visiting Lagos state here, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) here today and yesterday.

The government is very concerned about the situation there. There have been problems before in Nigeria, ethnic clashes and just clashes. The authorities in no way trying to stir anything up other than to calm the situation.

HARRIS: How about organizations like yours, the Red Cross and perhaps anyone who is affiliated with the Miss World Pageant, are you concerned about their safety or your safety at all?

BENNETT: Well, we obviously look to our safety, but our job is to support the national society. We work with our colleagues in the international community of the Red Cross, who are also monitoring the situation very closely.

We will go in with support, additional support, for the national society if it's necessary, but we have helped with the ICLC to train members of the volunteer staff, and the official staff of the Nigerian Red Cross society, and all the 36 states of the Federation of Nigeria, and we've also prepositioned a team there for helping with wounded people or helping people who may be displaced. So we have contingency plans to deal with this kind of situation.

HARRIS: We'll keep our eye on the situation from our vantage point, and we'd like to talk with you later on, sir, George Bennett, to check how things are progressing in Nigeria.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com