Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
My Profile
Top News
Reuters top ten news stories delivered to your inbox each day.
Subscribe
You are here:
Home
>
News
>
International
>
Article
Home
Business & Finance
News
U.S.
Politics
International
Technology
Entertainment
Sports
Lifestyle
Oddly Enough
Health
Science
Special Coverage
Video
Pictures
Your View
The Great Debate
Blogs
Weather
Reader Feedback
Do More With Reuters
RSS
Widgets
Mobile
Podcasts
Newsletters
Your View
Make Reuters My Homepage
Partner Services
CareerBuilder
Affiliate Network
Professional Products
Support (Customer Zone)
Reuters Media
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Nigerian militant leader shot in police custody
Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:49pm EDT
Email | Print |
Share
| Reprints | Single Page
[-]
Text
[+]
By Ibrahim Mshelizza
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - The leader of a radical Islamic sect in northern Nigeria was shot dead in police custody late on Thursday after days of clashes between his followers and the security forces killed hundreds of people.
Militant preacher Mohammed Yusuf, 39, whose Boko Haram sect wants a wider adoption of sharia (Islamic law) across Africa's most populous nation, was captured after a manhunt involving military helicopters, soldiers and armed police.
A Reuters reporter and other local journalists saw Yusuf at a military barracks in the northern city of Maiduguri after his capture. He had no visible injuries and was standing up. He was then transferred to the city police headquarters where he died.
"He has been killed. You can come and see his body at the state police command headquarters," said Isa Azare, spokesman for the police command in Maiduguri.
Azare gave no explanation for Yusuf's death, which New York-based Human Rights Watch condemned as a "shocking" extrajudicial killing . Other police officials were quoted by local media as saying he had died in a shoot-out while trying to escape.
A BBC correspondent said a video shown to officials and journalists showed Yusuf confessing and saying he regretted his actions. "The next moment on the video footage he was seen shot...They showed his body," the correspondent said.
The security forces have fought gunbattles in flashpoints across northern Nigeria over the past five days to crush an uprising by members of Boko Haram.
Violence broke out on Sunday when members of the group -- loosely modeled on the Taliban in Afghanistan and whose name means "Western education is sinful" -- were arrested in Bauchi state on suspicion of plotting to attack a police station.
President Umaru Yar'Adua has said the group was procuring arms and learning to make bombs in order to impose its ideology on Nigerians by force. He has ordered the security forces to do everything necessary to contain the sect.
DEATH TOLL EXPECTED TO RISE
Around a dozen soldiers, police officers and prison officials are among the hundreds killed in the unrest, while the remainder of the dead largely consist of suspected Boko Haram followers, according to police.
National defense spokesman Colonel Mohammed Yerima said there would be a military "show of force" on Friday to reassure civilians that they would be protected.
Eric Guttschuss, Nigeria researcher for Human Rights Watch, told Reuters: "The extrajudicial killing of Mr. Yusuf in police custody is a shocking example of the brazen contempt by the Nigerian police for the rule of law."
He said all criminal suspects had a right to due process, and Nigerian authorities must investigate the killing and hold those responsible for it accountable.
Yusuf's death also deprives intelligence agencies of the opportunity to question him about possible links to other militant groups outside Nigeria. Continued...
View article on single page
Share:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Mixx
Yahoo!
Facebook
LinkedIn
Next Article:
Iraq acknowledges deaths at Iran exile camp
also on reuters
Full Coverage: Uninsured camp out for free healthcare
Commentary: An abnormal recovery for housing market
Former Wall Streeters take on new parenting roles
More International News
Myanmar court adjourns Suu Kyi verdict: sources
Japan LDP tries to steal opposition policy thunder
Iran police break up memorial for protest victims
| Video
Honduran rulers insist Zelaya cannot be president
Airbus urges sensor switch after crash
More International News...
Editor's Choice
Slideshow
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow
Most Popular on Reuters
Articles
Video
Senator asks Clinton to explain Honduran policy
U.S. auto "clunker" program reaches limit
Pelosi lashes out against insurance companies
Hollywood stars visit Cuba amid U.S.-Cuba thaw
Photographer Leibovitz sued for breach of contract
Obama more bartender than mediator at beer summit | Video
WRAPUP 4-U.S. healthcare plan suffers a Senate delay
Some U.S. bank pay "unmoored" from performance: Cuomo
White House faces questions on healthcare message
Is it safe? U.S. vaccine experts want to build trust
Most Popular Articles RSS Feed
Video
Jackson's mother gets custody
"Beer Summit" at the White House
Mourners arrested at Iran memorial
Northern Iraq's election impact
Katherine Jackson gets full custody
Arroyo in Washington
7 year-old in car chase
Shot dead for enforcing smoking ban
Parents accused of locking up child
Healthcare bill hits a snag
Most Popular Videos RSS Feed
Reuters.com:
Help and Contact Us |
Advertise With Us |
Mobile |
Newsletters |
RSS |
Labs |
Archive |
Site Index |
Video Index
Thomson Reuters Corporate:
Copyright |
Disclaimer |
Privacy |
Professional Products |
Professional Products Support |
About Thomson Reuters |
Careers
International Editions:
Africa |
Arabic |
Argentina |
Brazil |
Canada |
China |
France |
Germany |
India |
Italy |
Japan |
Latin America |
Mexico |
Russia |
Spain |
United Kingdom |
United States
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.