Hundreds of protesters rallied Wednesday in this country’s capital, piling political pressure on a government that is already reeling from a leadership shakeup and deadly violence in a nearby city.
The demonstrations in the Nigerian capital of Abuja took aim at the country’s absentee president, Umaru Yar’Adua, and voiced frustration at what is seen as a leadership vacuum in Africa’s most populous country. Nigeria, also a major oil exporter, has been engulfed in a series of crises, from militant attacks on pipelines to Sunday’s slaughter, in which Muslims allegedly killed hundreds of Christian, in villages outside the city of Jos.
The 58-year-old president, who recently returned from Saudi Arabia where he was receiving medical treatment for a heart condition, hasn’t been seen in public for more than three months. Advisers to Mr. Yar’Adua have denied access to the ailing president to top Nigerian officials, including Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, who has assumed some duties of the president.
On Wednesday, protesters wore T-shirts reading “Enough is Enough,” and waved signs reading “Jonathan Must Get Decisive Now.” When protesters tried to enter the parliament compound, they were turned away by police. Supporters of Mr. Yar’Adua planned rival protests but were blocked by government officials because they didn’t apply in time for a permit.
The protests have stoked political tensions, which were already high in the wrenching aftermath of religious clashes.
Several hundred people appear to have been killed Sunday outside the former mining hub of Jos. The area straddles the border of Nigeria’s Muslim north and predominantly Christian south, with various ethnic groups vying for political sway and control of fertile land. Death toll estimates have varied widely, but a local official in one affected village, Dogo Nahawa, said more than 350 bodies had been collected by Monday evening. State information commissioner Gregory Yenlong said the death toll surpassed 300 people.
After the violence, Nigeria’s vice president, Mr. Jonathan, sacked the country’s national security adviser. The new security adviser, retired Gen. Aliyu Gusau, is a prominent figure in Nigeria who has served as National Security Adviser to two former heads of state.
The security official’s dismissal fueled speculation that the government may have known about imminent attacks. Jonah Jang, the governor of Plateau State, told reporters that shortly before Sunday’s violence he had warned the country’s military that an attack was imminent, but that they didn’t respond.
On a separate front, Mr. Jang sent a letter to the Senate president, a fellow member of the ruling political party in Nigeria, asking for help to resolve political infighting in the state. The letter, which was viewed by the Wall Street Journal, was dated March 2, five days before the massacres outside Jos.
Mr. Jang, through an aide, didn’t respond to requests for comment about the letter. Aides to Vice President Jonathan also didn’t respond to questions about Mr. Jang’s letter.
Meanwhile, police continued to round up suspects in the killings. Mr. Yenlong, the state information commissioner, said 96 suspects had been arrested by Monday. An additional 46 suspects were arrested Wednesday.
Many suspects were from the Fulani ethnic group, composed mostly of Muslim cattle breeders in Plateau State, of which Jos is the capital. Mohammed Nuru, who heads a social and political organization for the Fulani, said he was waiting for state government officials to provide a list of his arrested members. A Nigerian Red Cross worker in Jos said there were 137 Fulani detainees in the main city police station. Some had minor injuries.
“For now we’re not able to verify exact number arrested,” Mr. Nuru said. “Some of our boys have been arrested for no reason, in their houses, and beaten by security men.”
On Tuesday, gunshots were heard in Jos. Residents said a truck full of cattle was mistaken for a vehicle carrying locals who were believed to be behind Sunday’s attack.
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Will Connors
Wall Street Journal / Dow Jones Newswires Correspondent