THE mayhem that erupted in Maiduguri last Saturday, which claimed many lives and property over the publication in Denmark of a cartoon on Prophet Mohammed has spread to Bauchi and Gombe States.

Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Borno State has rejected the 13-man administrative committee set up by the state government to investigate the riot, saying it has no confidence in the committee.

The Borno State Police Command, on the other hand, declared yesterday that it had arrested about 150 suspects who were allegedly involved in the riot.

In Bauchi and Gombe States, business activities were paralysed yesterday as protests spread to the two states.

The protest in Gombe which started on Sunday night and continued yesterday was believed to have been sparked off by the alleged torturing to death of a suspect who was in police custody. The protesters stormed the streets at about 7.00p.m. on Sunday, unleashing terror on residents, burning, looting and harassing people in what many initially thought was a spill-over of the crisis in Maiduguri, Borno State.

About three houses were razed and property looted by the protesters as they battled anti-riot policemen drafted to restore normalcy. Although the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Atiku Kafur, appealed for calm in a television broadcast to the people on Sunday night, the protesters again took to the streets yesterday, creating panic among the people.

Businesses were hurriedly shut and people troopped to the barracks for safety. However, the police fired teargas canisters to disperse the crowd and security men were deployed to churches and other strategic buildings to secure them from arsonists.

Addressing journalists on the disturbance yesterday, the police commissioner said the suspect who died in police custody, identified as Aba Hamidu was a suspected rapist and believed there was more to the protest than what was claimed by the protesters. He confirmed that 43 arrests had been made while the police were intensifying efforts to nip the demonstration in the bud. He appealed for calm, assuring that normalcy would be restored soon.

Vanguard learnt that the posting of policemen to guard churches was to prevent miscreants from invading them.

In Bauchi, the protest against the cartooning of Prophet Mohammed was said to have started from a government secondary school yesterday morning and gradually spilled into the town, creating pandemonium. People ran helter-skelter with parents rushing to schools to pick their children while business places were hurriedly shut. The prompt intervention of the police was said to have contained the protesters, leading to a quick restoration of normalcy. It was not clear if arrests had been made at press time.

In Maiduguri where the riot started, a Reverend Father, Mr. Mike Gajere of Saint Rita's Catholic Church was among the victims as he was attacked by the hoodlums and set ablaze with petrol, according to eye witnesses at the scene of the incident. Not fewer than 30 churches and shops belonging to Christians were burnt down alongside vehicles.

Governor Ali Modu Sheriff has, however, promised to compensate all the victims of the mayhem while constituting an administrative committee of inquiry to assess the extent of damage.

CAN rejects panel

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Borno State, however, said it had no confidence on the 13-man committee.

Speaking with newsmen yesterday in Maiduguri, the Vice Chairman, CAN, Borno State, the Reverend Father Joel Billi and Bishop of Maiduguri Saint Patrick Catholic Church, the Reverend Father Mathew Man-Ngoso of the Maiduguri Catholic Diocese said "50 Christians lost their lives in the mayhem, hundreds wounded, over 30 churches either burnt or destroyed, and several Christians business premises or outfits, properties and homes/houses burnt or vandalised. We the Christians in Borno State have lost confidence in the government and the security agencies in the state to protect our lives and properties."

CAN Vice Chairman further stated that, "consequently, the incident of Saturday, 18th February 2006 is the culmination of the outburst to eliminate Christians in the state. This is because there is no connection to a cartoon published in Denmark more than a month ago with Christians in Borno State as at 18th February 2006."

CAN in the state was the only body that came out openly to condemn the cartoon in the state on Tuesday, 14th February 2006. It also observed that the state-owned media house, BRTV does not air Christians programmes in spite of continuous request by the Christians body

Arewa condemns attacks

Meanwhile, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has described the mayhem in Maiduguri, the Borno State as most despicable, thoroughly condemnable and totally unacceptable.

The body said with these events happening in the usually tolerant Maiduguri, there was the urgent need for an investigation team that would comprise mature, honest, experienced people who will not tolerate any kind of arm twisting nor succumb to any form of intimidation, inducements or cover-ups to be put in place geared towards unfolding the truth.

According to the body, "the lessons from such an investigation must be rigorously and expeditiously applied to save this country from such tragedies in the future".

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