Kano police warns against anti-U.S. protests

The police in Nigeria’s northern city of Kano have warned against plans by some Muslim groups to embark on anti-U.S. protests over the bombing of Afghanistan after Friday prayers. Head of the police in Kano State, Yakubu Bello, said in a special broadcast on Thursday that intelligence reports indicated violence was likely if the planned demonstrations went ahead. “The (police) command is aware of planned demonstrations by some few elements. These people’s intention is to cause trouble so that they will take advantage of that to loot innocent people’s property,” Bello said. “However, the command is warning people that the law banning public procession is still in force,” he added. Tension has been building up in Kano, northern Nigeria’s biggest city, since early in the week with the wide circulation of leaflets written in the local Hausa language, inviting Muslims to gather at the city’s main prayer ground for demonstrations immediately after the weekly “Jumat” prayers. Some police sources said the protests are intended to coincide with the scheduled visit to Kano by Britain’s Princess Anne. A statement by the British High Commission in Abuja on Thursday said the visit has been cancelled. Scores of people died in Kano a fortnight ago after a demonstration by thousands of Muslims after Friday prayers against U.S. air strikes on Afghanistan degenerated into days of clashes with the Christian minority. The violence was only brought under control after soldiers were called in to assist overstretched policemen and a curfew imposed on the city for several days. Relations between the Muslim majority of northern Nigeria and the predominantly non-Muslim south have grown increasingly fragile over the past two years since several northern state governments began imposing strict Islamic law which calls for amputation of limbs and stoning to death for certain offences.