An exodus of Christians from the mainly Muslim city of Kano, the commercial centre of northern Nigeria, is taking place because of fears of violence ahead of this weekend’s elections.
Thousands are cramming onto coaches and heading to the east or south-west of the country. ‘Kano is closing for business because of the fear of the unknown,’ a spokesperson for the main bus station told the BBC.
Many potential voters had already migrated ahead of the original date for the elections on 14 February.
The city’s Christians want to avoid a repeat of the violence that followed the 2011 voting when different religious and ethnic groups were attacked.
The largely Christian Igbo community that makes up the majority of the Kano suburb set aside for non-Muslims has already shrunk considerably in recent years because of Islamist insurgents.
Source: BBC