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« Nigeria's counting controversy | Main | Nigeria shuts down for key census »

March 21, 2006

Clashes prior to Nigeria census

Several people have been killed in Nigeria in clashes ahead of this week's controversial census, police say.

The deaths occurred in fighting between rival groups in south-west Ondo state.

The five-day census, the first in 15 years, starts on Tuesday. It is highly sensitive, as funding and political representation depend on the results.

Questions of religion and ethnicity have deliberately been left out following concern that the results could spark violence.

Hundreds of thousands of people are to be involved in collecting the census information.

Police did not put a number on those killed in the latest clash, but local newspapers said six died.

The violence flared in the village of Taribo in Ondo state. The people from the village are mainly ethnic Ijaws, although the surrounding area is largely populated by the Irele people.

Counting controversy

The dispute was apparently sparked by a row over whether Taribo village should be merged with its Irele neighbours for the purposes of the census.

Similar clashes erupted during the census demarcation process last year.

"Youths from Taribo-Ijaw rejected the merger and there was violence which resulted in several deaths," said an unnamed senior Nigerian police officer, quoted by the AFP news agency.

Other violent incidents were recorded in the northern city of Kano and neighbouring Katsina state.

It is thought at least some of the unrest was due to census workers being unhappy with their salaries.

Funds and jobs

The census, the first since 1991, has been ordered by President Olusegun Obasanjo.

"I wish to stress once again that census taking is not politics and should therefore not be a contest for political supremacy," he said on Monday.

With previous counts mired in controversy, there are only rough estimates for Nigeria's population - ranging from 120 million to 150 million.

The census is controversial because its conclusions will shape future politics and economics.

Because of the high tensions, questions on ethnicity and religion have been taken out of the questionnaire.

However, funding for the different regions is partly decided by their population size.

And the relative strengths of every ethnic and religious group must be taken into consideration in determining appointments in the civil service, the armed forces and political institutions.

Previous censuses have descended into national rows about alleged fraud.


Posted by Publisher at March 21, 2006 08:14 PM

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