Africa News
Nigerian police dispute claims of 45 dead in cartoon riots
By DPA
Feb 19, 2006, 19:00 GMT

Abuja - Police in Nigeria on Sunday rejected claims by residents of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in the country\'s northeast, that up to 45 people were killed during riots on Saturday sparked by protests against the controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

Nigerian Police Force spokesman Haz Iwendi told Deutsche Press- Agentur (dpa) on Sunday that \'only 16 persons can be confirmed to have been killed in the riots.\'

Iwendi also said the number of churches burnt was 11 and not more.

\'People quoting other figures are only trying to cause more tension,\' he said.

Some Maiduguri residents had earlier put the death toll at 45.

One of those killed in Saturday\'s riot was a Catholic priest who was burnt in his apartment by rioters who had earlier razed the church.

Non-Muslims were the target of the protests. The predominantly Muslim state of Borno has seen a rise in Islamic fundamentalism since the introduction of Sharia law in 2000.