Nigeria Declares State of Emergency after Attacks
Declaration targets areas hard hit by violence blamed
on radical Islamist sect Boko Haram
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has declared a
state of emergency in areas hard hit by violence
blamed on the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram.
In an address on state television Saturday, Jonathan
said the measure is in force in parts of Yobe and Borno
states in the northeast, Plateau state in central Nigeria,
and Niger state in the east.
He said a temporary closure of borders in those areas
is needed to address security challenges and restore
normalcy to the country.
The move came following a series of Christmas Day
attacks in northeastern Nigeria, including four that
killed about 40 people, most of them Christians.
The violence is blamed on Boko Haram, an Islamist
sect that has claimed responsibility for multiple
bombings and shootings in the north and in the capital,
Abuja. The group's name means "western education is
a sin."
The violence is raising fears that the militants are
trying to ignite sectarian strife.
The opposition has criticized the Jonathan
administration for failing to control Boko Haram.
Nigeria is roughly divided into a mostly Muslim north
and a predominantly Christian south.
Some information for this report was provided by AP,
AFP and Reuters.