At least one person was killed while five persons sustained various degrees of injuries in Katsina yesterday when police allegedly shot into a crowd of demonstrators protesting the planned public hearing on the amendment of the 1999 Constitution which they believed was aimed at creating a third term in office for President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Also in Maiduguri, about 16 people were reportedly killed as some muslims protest over cartoons published in Denmark depicting the Holy Prophet Muham-med.

In the Katsina riot, the injured persons including one of the co-ordinators of the protest, identified as Mallam Hamisu Safana, are currently receiving treatment at the Katsina General Hospital.

A public relations officer for the Concerned Citizens Against Third Term, Mallam Sabon Musa Hassan, told THISDAY that, "we were about 20,000 and we were marching to the Government House to complain to the governor that we do not want any public hearing concerning the Constitution because we know that the President wants an amendment to stay for a third term."

"It was a peaceful demonstration. When we got to the roundabout near the Government House, mobile policemen and opened fire on us. They shot some people on the leg and our leader received a gun shot on the head. He is in a critical condition now at the hospital. They did not allow us to see the governor," Hassan said.

In Maiduguri, churches and shops were also burnt during the riots which would have escalated to other parts of the state but for the timely intervention of the state Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff. Army troops and police reinforcements had been deployed and a curfew imposed to restore order, police spokesman Haz Iwendi said.

Hearing on the constitutional review which sparked off the protests in Katsina will take place in the six geo-political zones between Wednesday and Thursday.

Many Nigerians however harbour suspicion that the key objective of the constitution review exercise is to extend the tenure of office of President Obasanjo and some governors now serving their second term in office. The current 1999 Constitu-tion allows a person to serve as president or governor for two terms of four years each.

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) has said it would not take any position on the issue of the alleged plan in some quarters to elongate the tenure of President Obasanjo beyond 2007.

The EU which has membership drawn from a total of 25 countries however sai it was the alleged third term issue which is causing ripples in the land closely, Nigeria.

Speaking at a press briefing to mark the end of its two-day visit to Kaduna state on Friday, a delegation of EU Heads of Mission in Nigeria, described the third term issue as an entirely Nigerian internal affair which the union does not have the competence to deal with.

According to the leader of the delegation who is also the Austrian Ambassador, Dr. Christian Fellner, "there is no EU position on the third term question and we have not even discussed it because the EU should not hold any position on third term.

"It is none of our business, it is an internal matter for Nigeria. The United States of America can take whatever positions it desires on the matter. But of course we are following the developments closely and we want to see an outcome that will increase stability and prospects of good elections in 2007.

"That is a strong interest for us. We are working to promote free and fair elections by focusing on voter education especially at the grassroots level."

Fellner said that the EU was equally committed to the control of corruption and corrupt practices in the polity, a development which he noted informed the union's contribution of the sum of N4 billion to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He said,"that the donation gives you an indication of the importance we attach to strengthening the institution. With this help, we believe the EFCC will be in a better position to track funds that were transferred out of Nigeria illegally. This is one of the direct ways of helping Nigeria to fight corruption."

Fellner condemned developments in the Niger Delta noting however that hostage taking would not solve problems in the area. According to him, the EU, in collaboration with some other agencies, had embarked on a number of measures to disarm militant groups in the Niger Delta.

He said, "we at the European Union also believe that we should promote the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative [EITI], to promote transparency and accountability regarding revenues from oil and gas exploitations."

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