Police clash with protesters in Nigeria's north, 18 shot

AFP , Monday 9 Jan 2012

Nigerian police shoot 18 protesters in northern city of Kano during nationwide fuel price strike

Police and protesters clashed in Nigeria's north Monday as thousands converged on a governor's office during nationwide fuel price strikes, leaving 30 wounded, including 18 who were shot.

A union leader also said police shot dead a protester in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos as thousands of people demonstrated there.

Police fired tear gas and shot into the air as thousands of protesters converged on the governor's office in the northern city of Kano as part of a national strike over fuel prices.

A huge crowd of protesters had gathered in Kano, the main city in Nigeria's north, and clashes broke out with police who pushed them back as they tried to enter the governor's office, an AFP correspondent reported.

Protesters set two vans ablaze and also sought to set fire to the home of central bank governor Lamido Sanusi in Kano, but were stopped by police.

"In total, we have 30 wounded, 18 of them with gunshot wounds," said Red Cross official in Kano Musa Abdullahi, updating an earlier toll of 14 wounded, half of them shot.

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