Nigeria President: Nigeria Unrest 'Worse Than 1960s Civil War'

Nigeria Unrest 'Worse Than 1960s Civil War': President -- AFP

ABUJA — Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said on Sunday violence blamed on Islamist group Boko Haram was worse than the country's 1960s civil war, with sympathisers of the sect in government and security agencies.

"The situation we have in our hands is even worse than the civil war that we fought," Jonathan said at a church service, referring to Nigeria's 1967-70 civil war that killed more than a million people.

The death toll linked to violence blamed on the Islamist group has not reached anywhere near that level, but Jonathan cited the unpredictability and pervasiveness of the threat.

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Update: As Muslim sect kills 15 in northeast Nigeria, main Christian group vows to defend itself -- Washington Post

My Comment: The Nigerian President's fears are justified. Nigeria is a collection of different tribes/religions/and sectarian groups. Any conflict can quickly escalate into an all out civil war .... with a Christian-Muslim war being the worse possible outcome. For a better understanding of what is happening on the ground in Nigeria, Colin Freeman's article with the Telegraph paints an ominous picture.