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CNN Live Sunday

Protests in Nigeria Turn Violent

Aired October 14, 2001 - 15:20   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.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: Now, stunning repercussions to report in another part of the world, far from where all of this is happening, but it is a repercussion from the U.S. war on terrorism; sources in Nigeria are telling CNN that hundreds of people have died in that country's biggest Muslim dominated city, Kano, during anti- American protests.

The sources say that peaceful protests on Friday turned violent on Saturday. And from what we understand, many of the deaths occurred during clashes between rioters and police, but at the same time, there are some ominous reports of violence between Muslims and Christians in Kano.

For the latest now from Nigeria, we are joined on the telephone by our Lagos bureau chief, CNN's Jeff Koinange.

Jeff, what is happening now?

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Stephen, right now there's a dusk to dawn curfew that's in effect about an hour-and-twenty-minutes ago. The streets of Kano are quite, but sporadic gunfire could be heard in the suburbs and the outlying areas in this northern Muslim- dominated city.

Now, Kano is a two hour flight north of the commercial capital, Lagos, and it's in that cell they call the Northern Corridor that's dominated mostly by Muslims. Just for your audience, in this country of 120 million people, they are split right down the middle between Christians and Muslims.

So far police have recovered officially 18 bodies, although, like you said, eyewitnesses did tell us they saw hundreds of bodies in the gutters, in the streets. Police said their priority is not to recover the bodies, it's to prevent the violence -- Stephen.

FRAZIER: And what are they doing to try to protect people who may be in danger now, Jeff?

KOINANGE: Well, basically, what the military has been told is shoot on site, shoot first, ask questions later. People have been told to stay in their homes, do not venture out in the evening or until the curfew is lifted. The governor is calling for a state of emergency to be declared on this state. There's been no official reaction from the government itself, but people were saying the biggest fear, Stephen, is that this will spread to other Muslim cities, and then there will be all out chaos.

FRAZIER: And in an effort to hold back that chaos, in addition to the police orders you've just referenced, Jeff, there's also a military presence. Tanks there, now on the streets?

KOINANGE: That is correct. Military tanks are patrolling the streets, but they did that yesterday too, and people just ignored them. People just went about their business, even despite the fact that there was a curfew last night. The body count continues to rise.

FRAZIER: And do you know what sparked what this? Were there calls inside the Mosques' for violence or for protests?

KOINANGE: Basically, it's too early to tell right now. There was a peaceful demonstration right after the prayers, and they went about just walking down the street. In this place, they must have crossed a certain section and they were provoked by some people. No one knows quite what. All of the sudden, it turned ugly, and before you knew it churches and mosques' and businesses were all on fire.

FRAZIER: Jeff Koinange reporting. Thank you very much, Jeff, for that update from Nigeria.

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