Fears of escalating conflict in Nigeria Tensions are rising in Nigeria over economic and religious issues. At least one person has been killed in protests over the removal of a government subsidy on fuel that has led to a doubling of prices. Trade unions have called for a national strike and mass demonstrations to shut down oil production unless the move is reversed. Nigerians are worried that the spiralling cost of fuel will have a serious impact on their living standards. But a potentially much more serious problem is rising tension between the mainly-Christian South and militant Islamists centred in the North. President Goodluck Jonathan has declared a state of emergency in parts of the North after the militant group Boko Haram killed more than 50 people in a series of bomb attacks on Christmas Day. In one incident 37 Christians died in an explosion at a church on the outskirts of the capital Abuja. The spread of the attacks southwards has raised fears of an escalation of sectarian and regional violence in Africa's most populous country. More about: Economic crisis, Nigeria, Religion, Terrorism, Violence in Nigeria