Nigerian troops to put down Christian-Muslim clashes

Nigerian troops are trying to restore order in the city of Jos.

LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- Nigeria's government sent troops to the central city of Jos on Saturday to restore peace after two days of violence between Christians and Muslims.

One eyewitness said he saw at least eight burned bodies in the streets, while local media reported at least 50 dead.

Residents said police had restored calm to the central part of Jos, but sporadic violence was still reported in areas around the hilltop city. Hundreds have been killed during this summer's violence in the region, and tens of thousands of people have been displaced.

Flare-ups between Muslims and Christians have been reported since the introduction of Islamic law in several northern states last year, but Saturday marked the first time this summer that President Olusegun Obasanjo has sent troops to the region to quell the violence.

Speaking on radio, Obasanjo made a public appeal for the violence to stop in Jos, which is about 720 kilometers (450 miles) northeast of Lagos. He also said he approved a request by the governor of Plateau state, where Jos is located, for soldiers to be deployed to keep the peace.

The violence began Friday as a minor dispute between two ethnic groups, arguing over which one of their members would receive a low-level government position. It grew into a religious conflict shortly after Muslim prayers Friday afternoon.

John Allegenu, a Christian resident of Jos, said Saturday's violence was in revenge for attacks he blamed on the mostly Muslim Hausa ethnic group the previous day.

"The Christian boys, we've been going from house to house. If we find you as a Hausa man, we will burn all your property and kill you," Allegenu said.

"We go out with knife, machete, ax, then petrol with matches, all kinds of sticks. We're fighting trying to revenge what the Muslims did to our boys."

Authorities imposed a curfew on the city after Friday's violence, but residents said they heard screaming and shouting throughout the night, often hearing the Muslim cry for jihad, or holy war. Mosques, churches and other buildings were set on fire.

Residents also reported seeing groups of armed youths with machetes on some of the city's major roads. Police fired tear gas to control the situation.