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Nigerian leader killed

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The BBC’s Caroline Duffield reports from Lagos, Nigeria on death of the leader of an Islamic sect. Police claim he died in a shoot-out yesterday. Human rights leaders say he was intentionally executed by the government.

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KATY CLARK: Human rights leaders are calling for an investigation into the death of the leader of an Islamic sect in Nigeria.  Police claim radical cleric Mohamed Yusuf died in a shootout with them yesterday, but rights groups are accusing the Nigerian government of executing the Islamist leader.  His group, known as Boko Haram, has called for the overthrow of the Nigerian government and the imposition of strict Islamic law throughout the country.  Followers of the radical religious sect clashed with police for five days this week in northern Nigeria.  The fighting left hundreds dead.  The BBC’s Caroline Duffield is in Lagos, Nigeria.  Caroline, there appear to be questions still about what actually happened to Mohamed Yusuf.  What do we know with certainty about how he died?

CAROLINE DUFFIELD:  Well, what we know with certainty, Katy, is that the Nigerian authorities have given two completely different accounts in a 24-hour period.  Journalists at Government House in Maiduguri were told initially that Mohamed Yusuf had been arrested, that he had been arrested alive.  Mohamed Yusuf was going to be brought to Government House to meet with journalists.  The officials told local authorities that he would be paraded in front of state officials, that they would meet him, they would have the chance to interview him maybe, and then he would be taken away to Maimalary barracks in Maiduguri.  They waited several hours, and then shortly after that, they were given access to view a film of Mohamed Yusuf’s body.  He was bloodied and battered and his skull had been almost destroyed at the back.  Shortly after that, the police began to brief the local media that in fact, Mohamed Yusuf had died in a struggle as he was being arrested.  And so there’s virtually no way to reconcile these two accounts of what happened.  Local government officials told journalists that they would meet Mohamed Yusuf, and local police have said that he was killed in a struggle as he was arrested.

CLARK:  Is it viewed as unusual that there are such conflicting reports coming out of the government?

DUFFIELD:  Extraditial killings in Nigeria are not uncommon.  Nigeria’s police force has been criticized very widely by very many human rights groups in the past.  And throughout the whole siege in Maiduguri, throughout all the violence that has occurred over the last five days, there has been criticism from residents and from ordinary people of the Nigerian military firing guns recklessly, firing guns in the air.  There’s been criticism of indiscriminate deaths occurring from civilians because of the military.

CLARK:  I have a bit of tape here that I want to play.  It’s from Nigeria’s information minister commenting on the death of Mohamed Yusuf.

TAPE:  With him out of way it’s positive for the country, because if he were still to be alive, he’s making what has happened in the last few days come up again.  The government does not condone extraditial killings.  Right now, we [INDISCERNIBLE] of law.

CLARK:  Again, that was Nigeria’s information minister.  She went on to say that the death of this Islamic cleric was good for Nigeria. It sounds as if, from what you’ve been describing, some Nigerians may share that sentiment.

DUFFIELD:  Well, certainly inside Maiduguri this morning, I spoke to people inside the town and there was talk of an atmosphere of celebration in Maiduguri.  People, we were told, were gathering on street corners and shaking hands, exchanging information, smiling, and really glad to hear this news that the leader of this sect had been killed.  People outside of Maiduguri were shocked, outraged at what they regard as a failure of rule of law at what they regard is a failure of law and a failure of the police service.  So there are really a range of feelings inside Nigeria today.  But what is clear is from talking to people in politics, there’s a sense of embarrassment.  Very shortly, Hillary Clinton is due to come to Nigeria.  She’s due to come to Nigeria on the 10^th of August.  And there’s a real sense of embarrassment among many politicians and many people in Abuja.   But when you talk to them, they’re concerned about Nigeria’s reputation in the eyes of the world over this.

CLARK:  The BBC’s Caroline Duffield is in Lagos, Nigeria.  Thanks for the update.

DUFFIELD:  You’re welcome.

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