Angry mob on yesterday attacked two mosques and Northerners resident in Onitsha, Anambra State, in what is feared to be reprisal attacks of the violent riots that took place over the weekend in some parts of the North.

Agency reports said that: "the whole town is in frenzy and people are running in all directions as at yesterday evening."

When contacted on phone yesterday, the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, Mr. Moses Anegbode confirmed the incident. He told Daily Trust "as at now, we are preoccupied with giving coverage to Hausas who are going into hiding. So many of the Hausa's have taken refuge in barracks."

The Commissioner of Police however, could not confirm the reported death of five people.

The mob is said to have torched two mosques located at the Hausa quarters, leaving behind ashes and burnt out properties. Also destroyed were kiosks and residences belonging to the Hausa community around Bide, Sokoto, Haruna and Ifejika Roads, with their properties looted by the rampaging mob.

The attacks began when a luxury bus conveying corpses of Igbo's allegedly killed in the weekend riots arrived Upper Iweka, Onitsha.

A witness account said as soon as commuters in the park got wind of the arrival of the corpses, a mob gathered and after lamenting on the situation took up arms in revenge.

The violent youths in their hundreds armed with clubs and stones, marched to the Hausa community destroying houses, shops and properties, the witness said.

When the Northerners got wind of the riot, they ran to 32 Army Artillery Regiment, Onitsha for safety.

Anti-riot police squads are already manning different locations in Onitcha to restore calm.

Meanwhile, Bauchi State Secretary of the Red Cross Society of Nigeria, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar, yesterday confirmed the death of 16 persons in the crisis that engulfed Bauchi metropolis on Monday.

Abubakar told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Hausa service monitored in Abuja, yesterday. Many people have fled their houses and are in need of prompt attention in Bauchi hospitals."

"But we had a difficult time mobilising logistics and vehicles to transport injured victims to the hospital." Many sustained bullets wounds and knife cuts.

Reports say there were skirmishes around the metropolis as some irate youths are still launching attacks in some nooks and crannies of Bauchi town.

BBC described some places in Bauchi town as no-go- areas where the dead bodies and injured people are still being discovered in the areas.

It added that the crisis that spread to Tafawa Balewa town was controlled by securitymen, and that normalcy has since restored to the place.

Sources said the crisis was ignited following an alleged mutilation of a portion of the Holy Qur'an by a female teacher at Government Day Secondary School located within the army barracks in Bauchi.

A peaceful protest by students of the Government Day Secondary School at the army barracks was hijacked by hoodlums.

In a related development, the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu, has directed District and Village Heads to monitor people's movements and prevent a further breakdown of law and order in their domains.

He charged the chiefs to ensure the continued peaceful co-existence among residents in their domains.

Adamu described the incident as unfortunate and assured that adequate measures are being taken to safeguard lives and property.

He blamed the riot on the "evil machinations of some undesirable elements, who manipulated a peaceful students protest to cause mayhem". The emir appealed to christians not to panic, assuring that the crisis has no religious undertones.

Meanwhile, the Gombe state government has imposed an 11-hour curfew on Gombe metropolis following two days of riots.

The Secretary to the state government, Alhaji Bala Magaji, said that the curfew will last between 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily.

He said the measure became necessary to ensure the protection of lives and property. The rioters burnt down at least three houses and a place of worship on Sunday and Monday.

The youths were protesting the alleged torture of their colleague 18-year old Abba Lamido, by the police.

Magaji assured the people that the perpetrators of the act would be brought to book and also promised that those who suffered loss as a result of the violence will be compensated.

	Copyright © 2006 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).