Sectarian violence sparked by a spat at a market has left 55 people dead in Nigeria's northern Kaduna state, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.

Muslim and Christian youths reportedly clashed after a row between wheelbarrow porters in the town of Kasuwan Magani.

The state police commissioner said 22 people were arrested after the unrest.

Authorities also imposed a round-the-clock curfew in the town. Nigeria often sees outbreaks of sectarian violence.

Official presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu tweeted that Mr Buhari found the country's frequent use of violence in such disputes "worrisome".

Skip Twitter post by @GarShehu According to the President, “No culture and religion support the disregard for the sanctity of life,” adding that "peaceful coexistence is necessary for the progress of any society and its wellbeing." — Garba Shehu (@GarShehu) October 20, 2018 Report

Without harmony between different groups, "our everyday businesses would be impossible to achieve," the president said.

He called on community leaders to encourage tolerance and stop such discord before it could develop into violence.</s>Sectarian violence sparked by a spat at a market has left 55 people dead in Nigeria’s northern Kaduna state, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.

Muslim and Christian youths reportedly clashed after a row between wheelbarrow porters in the town of Kasuwan Magani.

The state police commissioner said 22 people were arrested after the unrest.

Authorities also imposed a round-the-clock curfew in the town. Nigeria often sees outbreaks of sectarian violence.

Official presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu tweeted that Mr Buhari found the country’s frequent use of violence in such disputes “worrisome”.

Without harmony between different groups, “our everyday businesses would be impossible to achieve,” the president said.

He called on community leaders to encourage tolerance and stop such discord before it could develop into violence. BBC News.</s>Fifty-five people were killed this week in clashes between young Christians and Muslims in northern Nigeria , President Muhammadu Buhari said on Saturday."President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the latest communal violence in Kasuwan Magani in Kaduna State which claimed 55 lives," the presidency said in a statement, adding that the violence followed a dispute in a market on Thursday.</s>ABUJA: Fifty-five people were killed this week in clashes between young Christians and Muslims in northern Nigeria following a dispute in a market, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Saturday (Oct 20).

Sources told AFP fighting broke out between Hausa Muslim and Adara Christian youths in the town of Kasuwan Magani's market following a dispute among wheelbarrow porters.

Two people were said to have been killed in the market fracas on Thursday. The violence was temporarily halted by police but Adara youth later mobilised and attacked Hausa residents, burning homes, the sources added.

"Most of the killings were done in the second attack which took the Hausa community off guard," said Muhammadu Bala, a Kasuwar Magani resident who lost his home.

In a statement the presidency said: "President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the latest communal violence in Kasuwan Magani in Kaduna State which claimed 55 lives."

The violence followed a dispute in a market on Thursday, the presidency added.

The president expressed concern that Nigerians were too frequently resorting to violence over misunderstandings that could be resolved peacefully.

"No culture and religion supports the disregard for the sanctity of life," he said, adding that "peaceful coexistence is necessary for the progress of any society and its wellbeing".

He said that without harmony between communities an environment conducive to "our everyday businesses would be impossible to achieve".

"Violence cannot be an alternative to peace. On the contrary, reliance on violence leads to ultimate self-destruction. Violence is an ill wind that blows nobody any good. Embracing peace is a necessity," he said.

He appealed to community leaders to take part in regular dialogue to prevent misunderstandings and foster a spirit of tolerance and patience.

Kaduna state police commissioner Ahmad Abdur-Rahman told reporters on Friday 22 people had been arrested in connection with the violence.

The Kaduna state government also imposed a round-the-clock curfew in Kasuwan Magani on Friday.

A similar crisis in February left at least 10 people dead and hundreds of homes and businesses burnt.

Over 60 people are facing charges over the February violence.</s>KADUNA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigeria has deployed a special police force to restore calm in the northern state of Kaduna following communal violence that killed 55 people in the last few days, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Sunday.

The Kaduna state government imposed a 24-hour curfew on Sunday after violence broke out on the streets of the state’s capital city, also called Kaduna.

The violence in the state capital follows clashes between two communities in the Kasuwan Magani area of southern Kaduna which left 55 dead.

Locals said clashes broke out between Muslims and Christians in the area, around 50 kms (30 miles) from Kaduna city, on Thursday.

Hundreds of people have been killed this year in outbreaks of communal violence across Nigeria. Security has become a key campaign issue ahead of the February 2019 election in which Buhari will seek a second term.

“The violence in Kaduna ... is condemnable. The police have been authorized to do everything possible to restore calm. A Special Intervention Force has been deployed to the flashpoints,” Buhari said on Twitter.

Kaduna state’s police commissioner, Ahmad Abdur-Rahman, said earlier the clashes in the Kasuwan Magani area of southern Kaduna had led to 22 arrests.

“The federal government and its law enforcement agencies will work with the state government and community leaders to ensure the full restoration of peace and security,” Buhari said in another message on Twitter.

Police said the special force will carry out stop and search patrols, raid suspected criminal hideouts and make arrests in areas that have been flashpoints or considered to be at risk of violence.

Local people, who described unrest in both Christian and Muslim areas of the state capital, said troops were also seen on the city’s streets.

“This is a notice of a 24-hour curfew imposed on Kaduna town and environs, with immediate effect. Residents are advised to comply by this directive,” Kaduna state’s governor, Nasir El-Rufai, said on Twitter.

Clashes along ethnic lines have plagued southern Kaduna in the last few years. Last year troops and additional police officers were deployed to the state in response to an outbreak of violence.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation with around 190 million inhabitants, split roughly equally between Christians and Muslims, and comprising around 250 different ethnic groups that mostly live peacefully side by side.</s>At least 55 people died this week in Kaduna state in Northen Nigeria following fresh clashes between Muslims and Christians.

AFP reports that Violence broke out between Hausa Muslim wheelbarrow porters and Adara Christian youths on Thursday, following a dispute in the Kasuwan Magani market, a town about 50 km from Kaduna.

President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the recent communal violence which claimed 55 lives. He said “No culture and religion supports the disregard for the sanctity of life.”

He urged community leaders organize regular dialogue as a measure to prevent misunderstandings and foster a spirit of tolerance and patience.

Kaduna State governor, imposed an indefinite night curfew in Kasuwan Magan on Friday.

Kaduna state is familiar with conflicts between nomadic Muslim pastoralists and Christian farmers over access to land, water and pastures.</s>KADUNA, Nigeria: Communal violence in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna over the last few days has killed 55 people, the local police commissioner said on Sunday.

Ahmad Abdur-Rahman said the clashes between two communities in the Kasuwan Magani area of southern Kaduna had led to 22 arrests. President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the violence in a statement issued late on Saturday.</s>The Kaduna State Police Command has confirmed that 55 people were killed in Thursday’s communal crisis at Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.Confirming the tragedy on Friday, at a press briefing in Kaduna, the State Commissioner of Police …Read more via 360Nobs.com – https://ift.tt/2NPRGjq Get More Nigeria Metro News</s>President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the latest communal violence in Kasuwan Magani in Kaduna State which claimed 55 lives. Reacting to the violent clashes, Mr Buhari said the frequent resort to bloodshed by Nigerians over misunderstandings that can be resolved peacefully, is worrisome.....Read more via Premium Times Nigeria – https://ift.tt/2ysljCh Get More Nigeria Political News</s>Communal violence in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna has killed 55 people, the local police commissioner says.

Ahmad Abdur-Rahman said the clashes between two communities in the Kasuwan Magani area of southern Kaduna had led to 22 arrests over the last few days.

He did not give details on the cause of the conflict but tension and clashes along ethnic lines have plagued that part of the state in the last few years.

"Anybody that has a hand in this crisis must face the full wrath of law," Abdur-Rahman said.

He said a curfew in Kasuwan Magani imposed by the state government on Thursday had helped to calm the situation.

Hundreds of people have been killed this year in outbreaks of communal violence across Nigeria. Security has become a key campaign issue ahead of the February 2019 election in which President Muhammadu Buhari will seek a second term.

The presidency condemned the violence in a statement.

"The frequent resort to bloodshed by Nigerians over misunderstandings that can be resolved peacefully, is worrisome," said a statement issued by Buhari's spokesman, Garba Shehu.

Last year troops and additional police officers were deployed to Southern Kaduna in response to an outbreak of violence.
A spat in a market in Nigeria's northern Kaduna State results in 55 dead. After the brawl, 22 people were arrested.