Muslims had been killed in Yelwa, Plateau State on May 2, and several reports described it as a religious attack led by Christians of the Tarok tribe. When this story went viral, Muslims in Kano State began killing Christians there in retaliation, leading to a breakdown of law and order.
The Nigerian Red Cross said more than 600 Muslims were killed by Christian militants wielding guns and machetes.
Before the May 2004 incident, Christians and Muslims in Plateau had fought each other and lost over 2,000 people on both sides since 2001. Obasanjo then declared a state of emergency in Plateau State, sacked Governor Joshua Dariye and accused him of failing to act to end the violence.
During a nationwide radio broadcast on May 18, 2004, Obasanjo described Dariye as an indecisive governor and said his failure to intervene firmly to stamp out sectarian violence had led to the Yelwa massacre.
He said, “If anything, some of his utterances, his lackadaisical attitude and seeming uneven-handedness over the contending issues present him as not just part of the problem, but also as an instigator and a threat to peace.
“I hereby declare a state of emergency in Plateau State.”
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