Plateau state violence: Nigerian churches and mosques burned as curfew enforced in Mangu

Mosques and churches were set on fire in Nigeria’s Plateau state after a fight over cattle became violent.

During a fight in Mangu, eight people died when cows got loose and stopped cars on the road.

The governor of the state has ordered everyone to stay at home for 24 hours to stop the fighting. People who have died are still allowed to have a burial.

This area often has fights between different groups because of their religion and ethnicity.

Plateau is a place where the mostly Muslim north and mostly Christian south come together, and there are many mixed communities.

There was fighting on Tuesday in Mangu, a place 74km (45 miles) south-east of Jos. It was between people from the Fulani and Mwagaful ethnic groups.

Reporter Ado Musa, from the Daily Trust newspaper, said to the BBC that six mosques and two churches were set on fire in the chaos.

The problem started when some robbers with weapons tried to steal cows from the Fulani people, he said.

The robbery didn’t work, but when the cows got out during the fight and shots were fired, it caused a lot of chaos on the roads and upset other people who live there.

Musa said that there was violence and people died and things got destroyed very quickly.

Young men from the Christian and Muslim communities attacked churches and mosques.

There are reports that the fighting is still happening on Wednesday even though there’s a curfew.

Over 100 people died in a violent incident in a different area of Plateau state during Christmas.

The fighting in Mangu is not connected to the political trouble in Jos on Tuesday when police used tear gas on some politicians trying to get into the state assembly.

They were mad because a court said their election in March was wrong and took away their power.