2007年VOA标准英语-Nigerian Security Forces Battle 'Foreign Extrem

A police official in northern Nigeria says security forces have chased away foreign religious radicals¹ outside the main city of Kano, restoring order ahead of Saturday's presidential election. The clashes between security forces and suspected Islamic militants² follow the killing³ of an influential⁴ Muslim cleric last week. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Kano.

Police commissioner⁵ Atiku Kafur tells VOA army reinforcements helped chase away the several hundred insurgents⁶ who were lightly armed, spoke⁷ only Arabic and had holed up in a suburb of Kano. "The military started shelling their strongholds, they succeeded in killing some of them, and arresting some of them; so as I speak now, I can say the area is quiet. They have been seen running away," he said.

On Tuesday, police reported the assailants killed 12 policemen and one civilian⁸.

Acts of violence have disrupted election process throughout Nigeria (VOA photo - N. Colombant)

Kafur says he has strong evidence there is a link between the attack and the murder of Sheik Jaafar Adam, an influential Sunni cleric, last week. He says one of his top priorities is to find the killers⁹. "We are spreading our tentacles¹⁰ to various angles, including political, legal, whatever. We will not leave any stone unturned. We will make sure that we get those who killed that Sheikh," he said.

Kano is predominantly Muslim

Waddah Mohammed, a Kano businessman, says the local residents blame outsiders for trying to disrupt the region ahead of the presidential ballot¹². "Whenever you ask, the people did not associate with them, with any of the Islamic sects¹³ in Kano. And they did not call anybody's name here in Kano. And they say they have only come to face the law enforcement agents so this is what confuses people," he said.

To cut down on violence, police have imposed a nighttime curfew.

In a quiet part of Kano, one motorbike taxi driver, waiting at a repair shop, says he is grateful for the curfew and the extra security. "If people are coming out, they will be fighting with police or some other people, and that this is why they are doing anything around. From 5:30, they are going back to their house and nothing is happening with (because of) the curfew," he said.

Opposition¹⁴ parties have called for protests and a boycott¹⁵ of Saturday's presidential elections unless last week's gubernatorial ballot that they claim was riddled¹⁶ with fraud is annulled¹⁷.

But the election commission says the opposition leaders should address their grievances¹⁸ in the courts, and says the presidential elections will take place as scheduled.