Nigeria Muslims' 'Easter attacks'

By BBC

Police in Nigeria say they have made 120 arrests following clashes when Muslim youths allegedly attacked a Christian procession on Easter Monday.

Sectarian violence erupted in the towns of Gwada and Minna in the state of Niger when Christians were attacked and churches set on fire.

Scores of people were reportedly taken to hospital with injuries.

Police reinforcements have been deployed to the two towns in an attempt to restore order.

Nigeria's 140 million population is split almost equally between Muslims and Christians, with the two communities generally living peacefully side by side.

But underlying tensions occasionally spill over into deadly bouts of violence.

Correspondents say the real cause for confrontation is usually competition for resources between different groups, rather than simply religious bigotry