Fresh violence hits Lagos over Abiola's death
Fresh violence hits Lagos over Abiola's death
LAGOS (Reuters): Fresh violence erupted yesterday in Lagos,
Nigeria's largest city, over the death in detention of opposition
leader Moshood Abiola, witnesses said.
Local newspapers put the death toll in earlier rioting over
Abiola's death in the city of eight million at up to 45 people.
One television cameraman said he saw a man clubbed to death on
a Lagos street on Thursday and his money stolen by a mob.
Witnesses said police fired teargas to disperse mobs in Lagos
as unemployed youth clashed with petty traders from the north,
home region of most present and past Nigerian rulers.
"The situation is tense here, people were throwing sticks and
broken bottles and there was also looting," one journalist said
by telephone from Agege on the outskirt of Lagos.
A police spokesman contacted by Reuters declined to comment
but said: "Our men are on the ground and I am sure they are
bringing the situation under control."
Ethnicity is at the root of the Nigerian crisis, triggered by
the annulment in 1993 by the military of a presidential vote
Abiola, a hugely wealthy southern Moslem, was set to win.
His death was widely seen as further reducing chances of the
mainly Christian south wresting power from the Moslem-dominated
north.
In the capital Abuja, Nigeria's military rulers met for a
second day running to discuss restoring civilian rule and freeing
political prisoners.
Officials at the presidential villa said the Provisional
Ruling Council of Africa's most populous nation had resumed talks
which began on Wednesday under military ruler General Abdulsalam
Abubakar and a statement would follow.
"What happens to the remaining political detainees and the
yet-to-be-announced transition program were discussed," said the
state-run radio.
"The fate of coup plotters will also be determined," said one
official, referring to former Nigerian number two Lieutenant-
General Oladipo Diya and several others, all from the southwest,
found guilty of plotting to topple Abubakar's predecessor.
Abiola had been detained since 1994 when he declared himself
president over the annulled election.
He died of an apparent heart attack while meeting a U.S. team
to discuss the military government's terms for his release.
Nigeria is anxiously awaiting a post mortem by foreign
pathologists due in the country on Thursday night.
Abiola's personal physician said the autopsy could begin
within hours of the arrival of a team of five foreign
pathologists expected late yesterday. This means that Abiola's
burial in Lagos is unlikely to take place before today.
"Soon after the pathologists arrive they will meet together to
decide on the format for the autopsy," Ore Falomo told Reuters in
Lagos. "We expect this autopsy to take between three and four
hours and soon afterwards a statement will be made."
Abiola was held under former dictator General Sani Abacha, who
himself died of a sudden heart attack a month ago and was
succeeded by General Abdulsalam Abubakar.
Abacha's successor, General Abubakar, pressed by Nigeria's
Western friends to get the country on track to democracy, quickly
freed a number of political prisoners and had been widely
expected to order Abiola's release.
Abubakar on Wednesday appealed for calm following riots that
have killed at least a score in Abiola's southwestern home
region, but his speech gave no hint of how the army plans to
restore civilian rule to the nation of 104 million.
Nor did he mention the release of any more detainees. So far
only about 30 have been set free. Foreign delegations and local
politicians have demanded the release of all political prisoners,
variously estimated to be about 200.
South African Deputy President Thabo Mbeki arrived in Abuja
for a visit South African officials said was planned long before
Abiola's sudden death.
"The fact that it has not been called off shows South Africa's
interest in showing solidarity with Nigeria at this critical
time," one said.
Officials said Abubakar would take a break from his council
meeting to meet Mbeki.