Nigeria: Nigerians Panic As Rebellion Breaks Out in Kano

Millions of Nigerians are panicking as the combined troops of the Nigerian army and Nigerian police launched attacks on the Islamic militants in Kano, after the militants attacked and killed 12 police officers and the wife of an officer at a police post last Tuesday.

Military authorities claim to have killed over 25 of the militants, but did not disclose how many of their officers have been killed. Fleeing residents said they saw some dead soldiers along the way.

Nigeria has been in turmoil since violent political campaigns and elections left over 65 people dead, including dozens of police officers and soldiers. International observers such as the Washington based Human Rights Watch have reported wide spread fraud during the last state assembly and governorship elections and criticized the desperation of the ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to subvert and manipulate the electoral process. The observers also confirmed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agents were implicated in the rigging of the elections to favour the ruling party.

The President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo said millions of dollars have been spent to reinforce the Nigerian police to secure lives and properties, but they have not been able to prevent the spread of violent protests and political clashes across the nation.

Many political leaders have been assassinated and over 10, 000 people have been killed in religious riots and political conflicts since Chief Olusegun Obasanjo became President in 1999. The recent killing of a popular Islamic leader in his mosque provoked the on-going rebellion in Kano.

To contain the rising political tensions in Nigeria, the leaders of 18 opposition parties, including the leading presidential candidates, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have formed a coalition for peace. They issued an 8-point communiqué, calling for the annulment of the results of the last elections, postponement of the presidential election scheduled for Saturday 21, 2007, and the disbandment of INEC.