Protest Raises Tensions In Nigeria
ABUJA, Nigeria—Hundreds of protesters rallied Wednesday in this country’s capital, piling political pressure on a government that is already reeling from a leadership shakeup and deadly violence in a nearby city.
The demonstrations in the Nigerian capital of Abuja took aim at the country’s absentee president, Umaru Yar’Adua, and voiced frustration at what is seen as a leadership vacuum in Africa’s most populous country. Nigeria, also a major oil exporter, has been engulfed in a series of crises, from militant attacks on pipelines to Sunday’s slaughter, in which Muslims allegedly killed hundreds of Christian, in villages outside the city of Jos.
After the violence, Nigeria’s vice president, Mr. Jonathan, sacked the country’s national security adviser. The new security adviser, retired Gen. Aliyu Gusau, is a prominent figure in Nigeria who has served as National Security Adviser to two former heads of state.
The security official’s dismissal fueled speculation that the government may have known about imminent attacks. Jonah Jang, the governor of Plateau State, told reporters that shortly before Sunday’s violence he had warned the country’s military that an attack was imminent, but that they didn’t respond.
On a separate front, Mr. Jang sent a letter to the Senate president, a fellow member of the ruling political party in Nigeria, asking for help to resolve political infighting in the state. The letter, which was viewed by the Wall Street Journal, was dated March 2, five days before the massacres outside Jos.