* Region lies between Muslim north and Christian south

* Seen as flashpoint ahead of elections

* Hundreds killed in clashes last year

By Shuaibu Mohammed

JOS, Nigeria, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Nigerian soldiers fired into the air to disperse youths burning tyres in the central city of Jos on Saturday in protest at the reported killing of eight Muslims in a nearby village, residents said.

The Muslims were on their way to a wedding when they were attacked late on Friday after their bus got lost in a predominantly Christian village which was at the centre of ethnic and religious clashes last year, witnesses said.

"Since my team couldn't find the eight people, we've come to the conclusion they were killed, knowing the circumstances," Plateau state police commissioner Abdulrahman Akano said.

"The occupants inside the vehicle were all Muslims dressed in Muslim attire," he said.

Muslim youths set up burning barricades in parts of the Kwararasa neighbourhood of Jos when news of the attack on the bus spread, but a military taskforce which has been policing the city since last year's unrest was able to disperse them.

Plateau state, of which Jos is the capital, lies in Nigeria's "Middle Belt" where the mostly Muslim north meets the largely Christian south. The region is seen as a potential flashpoint ahead of nationwide elections in April.

Hundreds of people died in clashes between Muslim and Christian mobs in the region early last year and there have been frequent outbreaks of violence since then. Dogo Nahawa was one of the villages that bore the heaviest casualties.

The tension is rooted in decades of resentment between indigenous groups, mostly Christian or animist, who are vying for control of fertile farmlands and for economic and political power with migrants and settlers from the north.

President Goodluck Jonathan, a southerner, faces a tough election battle with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a northerner, and some analysts fear the national debate could become polarised around north-south rivalries.

Jonathan's candidacy is controversial because of an agreement in the ruling party that power should rotate between the north and the south every two terms.

Jonathan inherited the presidency after his predecessor, northerner Umaru Yar'Adua, died last year during his first term and some in the ruling party say only a northerner can serve what should have been Yar'Adua's second term.

Nigeria has been shaken by violence in recent weeks, including a New Year's eve bomb blast near an army barracks in Abuja a week after a series of blasts and subsequent clashes killed 80 in Jos. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: af.reuters.com/ ) (Writing by Nick Tattersall; editing by Myra MacDonald)

The people who committed these woeful acts are not TRUE Christians

Terrible. Plain wicked

frosbel:

The people who committed these woeful acts are not TRUE Christians

What did you expect after pushing them to the wall

jason123:

What did you expect after pushing them to the wall

what wall

tell me what wall,,,,,,

deleted!

The plateau state police commissioner should be arrested and tried in a court of law for inciting violence. What kind of irresponsible statement is that? If you did not find 7 or 8 people you do not just conclude that they have been killed and by Christians too.

rebranded:

muslims always start all these killings!

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:43-45).

Clearly the duty of the disciple is to "seek peace, and pursue it" (Psalm 34:14; 1 Peter 3:11); to "follow peace with all men" (Hebrews 12:14; Romans 14:19); "as much as lieth in you, (to) live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18). But does the teaching of Jesus Christ suggest active involvement in a campaign for peace? Our responsibility to be peacemakers in the home, at work, or among the people we meet does not necessarily give us licence to put pressure on those in authority.

@alj harem what wall uh?come to Jos and I will personally butcher u.Almajiri like u.idiot.

debeginin:

@alj harem what wall uh?come to Jos and I will personally butcher u.Almajiri like u,

u what to butcher me why na

if muslims are kill you people, why can't u act like christians and not kill them back is that not what your religion preaches

debeginin:

@alj harem what wall uh?come to Jos and I will personally butcher u.Almajiri like u,

And you call yourself a christian

Please tell me which Jesus do you follow ? I am curious to know ?

Is it the prince of peace Christ Jesus or the fake Jesus of your imagination

The truth is that there can never be peace until one group wins the war.The best and only solution is to cuddle off the jos area,withdraw all the security personnel and allow them to fight till one side wins.The same solution is applicable to middle east.As long as some people have been killed there will be vengeance and counter-vengeance till eternity.

Abagworo:

The truth is that there can never be peace until one group wins the war.The best and only solution is to cuddle off the jos area,withdraw all the security personnel and allow them to fight till one side wins.The same solution is applicable to middle east.As long as some people have been killed there will be vengeance and counter-vengeance till eternity.

abagworo, what are you saying here

those christians and muslems should be arrested and jailed if not taken to the firing squad
zo, there will be no peace until those people are arrested and killed once and for all, this rubbish has started since year 2000

Abagworo:

The truth is that there can never be peace until one group wins the war.The best and only solution is to cuddle off the jos area,withdraw all the security personnel and allow them to fight till one side wins.The same solution is applicable to middle east.As long as some people have been killed there will be vengeance and counter-vengeance till eternity.

If that happens, NIAJA WOULD SPLIT!!!
The southern christians would not allow the northern muslims to just bully jos citizens(christians) into submission.

And now they have are fighting back, Just killed some innocent travellers . what the hell is wrong with this nation?

And a daft minded fellow will believe that a xtian will kill a muslim and the muslems will only protest? Its the hand work of muslems.

all the while hausa/fulani muslims killled indigenous christians from one village to the other we never heard of a reprisal in Jos now because of a report of missing muslims, they decided to go rampage and trouble the city. i have been imagining what would have happened to Nigeria if the christmas eve bombblast were a sallah eve bomb blast in kano or any other predominantly moslem state. with all sincerity i believe there is something violent about islam.

frosbel:

The people who committed these woeful acts are not TRUE Christians

SO there are "terrorist" christians ?

So also those muslims that kill christians are not true muslims

its so very sad and sickening. The political-selfish-interest crisis of jos has now turned into a full blown religious war all in the name of what? y nigeria? When will this cycle end?

I am Congratulating Berom Christians for a Job well done, keep it up.
Islam is from the Devil, soooo all Moslems are a Devilish. it's welcome development Christians are killing Devilish Moslems.
Death to Islam

wily:wily:

I am Congratulating Berom Christians for a Job well done, keep it up.
Islam is from the Devil, soooo all Moslems are a Devilish. it's welcome development Christians are killing Devilish Moslems.
Death to Islam

u dey craze,,, c'mot abegi

Let us leave the Beroms and Hausas to fight and whoever wins should take whatever they are fighting for.They should non-religious people like me.

Seriously Sub-Saharan Africa needs to abolish Christianity,Judaism and Islam in our continent.

Wounded lions revolting

xterra2:

SO there are "terrorist" christians ?

So also those muslims that kill christians are not true muslims

Hmm, read my other statements.

A true Christian knows quite well that he is and will never be ordered by Christ to take another human life.

Now, if any person thinks on the contrary, he is a murderer and does not have eternal life abiding in him. This is not me saying but straight from the bible.

I will be honest , I used to wish for retaliation in the past, but just look at Israel and Palestine, does it ever end ?? Nope. Its more blood and more blood shed , and when God looks down from heaven he is grieved . But the father of all murderers Satan is rejoicing with glee at how we humans are wiping ourselves out, literally doing his job for him.

As someone rightly commented here, killing breeds more killing , and the cycle can continue for generations.

What we need is forgiveness and to see ourselves as human beings first before we consider religious affiliation, otheriwse more life will be lost.

Obviously Islam has shed a lot of blood in recent times, there is no doubt about that  , but this in no way excuses us who are so called Christians to retaliate in the way of killing. Not allowed sorry.

Why must more people die , you tell me.

Abagworo:

Let us leave the Beroms and Hausas to fight and whoever wins should take whatever they are fighting for.They should non-religious people like me.

Seriously Sub-Saharan Africa needs to abolish Christianity,Judaism and Islam in our continent.

Personally, i just feel that may be the solution. All these imported religions have done more harm than good to this continent.

The Muslims were on their way to a wedding when they were attacked late on Friday after their bus got lost in a predominantly Christian village which was at the centre of ethnic and religious clashes last year, witnesses said.

the problem is any group could hijack the already simmering tensions to commit terrorist acts.

"Since my team couldn't find the eight people, we've come to the conclusion they were killed, knowing the circumstances," Plateau state police commissioner Abdulrahman Akano said

this just sounds wrong.


why treat the incident as a murder instead of a kidnapping case, pending further evidence.

It says 'Christians'. . .not even gonna deny

but then you know your reward in heaven

Jesus Christ would be appauled. smh

Jesus never preached any form of violence

Black on black violence is quite pathetic. People look more to difference then our similarities. Quite sad indeed. I still believe in Africa.

Justcash:

Split Nigeria. Split the freaking country (Animal farm), so that the pigs can lead themselves, and others can choose their destiny. Nonsense!

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! EPIC!!!!! You just reminded me of that classic book. Thumbs up jor

Justcash:

Split Nigeria. Split the freaking country (Animal farm), so that the pigs can lead themselves, and others can choose their destiny. Nonsense!

And who are the pigs in Nigeria? Who was Old Major? Who were the humans? Who is Snowball & Napoleon? What about the other animals?