A mob angered by the death of a man who had been in police custody rioted Sunday in a Nigerian town, leaving one person dead after authorities opened fire and three buildings burnt, police said.
The riots occurred in the northern town of Dambatta in Kano state and broke out after a man authorities described as a notorious thief died after being taken into police custody.
Rioters and his family blamed police for his death, claiming they tortured him. Police commissioner Muhammad Tambari Yabo denied officers were to blame and said authorities later shot into the air when the mob sought to burn down the police station.
“Unfortunately one rioter was shot dead and two others injured by stray bullets,” said Yabo. “The mob was further enraged and they went about burning some buildings.”
Buildings burnt included the home of the police commander for the district, a Baptist church and a building used for Nigeria’s youth service corps programme, he said.
According to police, the alleged thief stole a motorcycle on Friday night after being released from jail. He was pursued by a mob that badly beat him and threw stones at him, according to Yabo, before being brought to police.
He was taken to hospital on Saturday after complaining of abdominal pain and later died, he said.
Police said Sunday evening that calm had been restored to the town and 35 arrests were made. There have been previous episodes of tension between police and residents in the area.
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