Days of deadly violence between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria last week was fuelled by inflammatory text messages, a religious leader has told the BBC.
Rev. Joseph Hayab said hundreds of texts circulated around the city of Jos - some urging Christians not to buy food from Muslims “because it was poisoned.”
Another told Muslims the state governor had ordered their water supply to be cut in an attempt to kill them.
Police say 326 people died in the riots - other estimates are much higher.
Muslim officials have told rights groups that 364 Muslims were killed.
Christian leaders have not yet confirmed a death toll - although earlier estimates said around 65 Christians had died.
More than 300 people have been arrested.
Rev. Hayab told the BBC’s Network Africa programme that messages had been circulating among both Christians and Muslims.
“I received hundreds of these text messages - some people wanted to know whether the things they were hearing were true, some were sending them to me to alert me that there was danger,” he said.
The AFP news agency quoted rights groups as saying more than 145 different messages had been sent helping to escalate the violence.
The agency quoted one message as saying: “War, war, war. Stand up… and defend yourselves. Kill before they kill you. Slaughter before they slaughter you. Dump them in a pit before they dump you.”
And messages continued to circulate last weekend warning Christians that Muslims intended to attack churches. There were no subsequent attacks on churches and religious leaders have urged people to ignore the messages. Police are trying to find the source of the messages, AFP reports.
Violence erupted in the city early last week, rapidly spreading to nearby villages.
Several thousand people remain displaced, having abandoned their homes to escape the violence.
Jos, the capital of Plateau state, lies between Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south and has seen sectarian riots in the recent past.
But analysts say the real cause of the violence is a struggle for political superiority in the city.
aumefa
28 January 2010 20:20Help beg all of them in the name of whatever they believe in to please let us have peace.
edward UK
28 January 2010 23:27Who does not know that Muslims of Northern extraction want to take over Plateau state, it no secret, so let’s call a spade a spade!!
ALWAYZ05
30 January 2010 01:17NO COMMENTS FROM FORUMITES?
WAS IT FOOTBALL WE NO GO HEAR WORD!
HYPOCRITES ALL
adrusa
2 February 2010 10:23@Edward UK
“Who does not know that Muslims of Northern extraction want to take over Plateau state, it no secret, so let’s call a spade a spade!!, (and kill them all before they killed us)”
For all whatever education you have received, you are a complete moron! There is a REAL problem in Jos and it requires serious minded honesty to address it. Thoughtless and provocative nonsense from the likes of edward uk is unhelpful
Mikolade
3 February 2010 15:52WELL WELL WELLL, MOST INCREDIBLE COMMING OUT OF NAIJA.
BabaRabb
7 February 2010 07:09Its time the poor masses of Christian and Muslims of Jos see reasons. This is more of a war planned by the affluent to eliminate the down trodden. Until the masses realise that the politicians are using them for a purpose, the cycle will continue. How many of the politicians lost their lifes? None of note. After they have supplied the arms and fueled the riot they sent their ward to Britain, America and Dubai and ran to Abuja and Lagos in company of women of easy virtue only to watch the mayhem not even on NTA but on Al Jazzeera and CNN.
EDUSOUTH
12 February 2010 (5 weeks ago) 20:17Wonderful people on every street in Nigeria. When shall we learn to live in peace nd harmony? I urge brethren to embrace eachother irespect of race,religion,colour,etc.
One Love is ALL we call nd need.
Edu Magana
Moses
14 February 2010 (4 weeks ago) 20:56edward uk, u are a big full. why not come and stay in Jos and help with the killings of innocent life, you are enjoying peace some where and formenting crises in your country. you will come back one day.
Moses
14 February 2010 (4 weeks ago) 21:20edward uk, u are a big fool. why not come and stay in Jos and help with the killings of innocent lives, you are enjoying peace some where and formenting crises in your country. you will come back one day.
mro
22 February 2010 (3 weeks ago) 18:21edward UK
Be smart in what you write and find out what is true b4 you put your pen down.