Relief group: 500 died in Nigeria violence

ABUJA, Nigeria, April 25 (UPI) -- At least 500 people died and more than 65,000 were displaced in violence after President Goodluck Jonathan's election in Nigeria, a relief agency said.

The Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria said most of the deaths occurred in northern Nigeria, where Muslim supporters of defeated presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari attacked churches, homes and police stations, sparking reprisals by Christians, Voice of America reported Sunday.

Nigeria's Emergency Management Agency said the states of Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Adamawa, Niger and Katsina were hardest hit. Agency Director General Mohammed Sani Sidi said assistance was being provided to displaced civilians in several states as well as people living in camps for displaced people.

"The intervention is continuing," Sidi told VOA. "We are not going to stop until we get this relief material across to all the victims that have been affected. We are doing everything possible in collaboration with the Nigerian army who have been very, very active and supportive in providing us with security cover."

Sidi said he thought the only real way to restore order was to complete a series of elections with peaceful voting.

Twenty-six of Nigeria's 36 states are to conduct gubernatorial elections Tuesday. Elections in two states were delayed because of the recent violence, national election officials said.