A women's protest march in Jos last week

    Forty nine Muslims have been charged with murders of Christians in the City of Jos in Nigeria. Many of the victims were children, women and elderly. They were hacked to death with matchets and set on fire.
     About 100 Christians are believed to be killed, but there are no official figures to confirm this. The arrested persons are said to belong to the Muslim Fulani group and they have unleashed this terror on Christian villagers to avenge the death of 300 Muslims in January.
     Fingers are being pointed at government officials for not doing enough to protect people. There is an increasing pressure on the government to bring those responsible to justice. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has held emergency meetings to try and stem reprisals and restore order.
     Nigeria is a Africa’s most populated country. It is split by tribes, religious and ethnic groups. Muslims occupy large parts of the North of the country, while the South is home to mainly Christians. The large fertile lands of the central belt of Nigeria is a place of fierce contest as these groups battle to control the territory. This is being blamed for the culture of violence that has plagued this country.
     Since the event, hundreds of women clad in black have marched through the City of Jos. Aid workers from the Red Cross have been distributing water and food supplies to people who have taken refuge in police stations.