Nigeria: Speaking of restless...

Muslim traders on a rampage! Christian trader allegedly blasphemes Mohammed. Now he's being held in protective custody. I'd say he's lucky to be alive....

Commercial activities were paralysed in northern Nigeria's largest city Kano on Sunday when Muslim traders protested an alleged blasphemy of the prophet Mohammed by a Christian trader.

Hundreds of angry traders at the Sabon-Gari market were seen setting bonfires on major streets leading to the market, and called for the killing of the trader. He was accused of putting blasphemous writings onto the walls of his shop against Mohammed, Islam's holiest figure.

"A Christian trader was accused of making some blasphemous inscriptions against prophet Mohammed in his shop by his moslem colleagues who pounced on him," Kano police spokesman Baba Mohammed told AFP. He said the man escaped to the police station in the market, from where he was quickly ferried to the state police headquarters for protection.

"We have made several arrests of persons suspected of attempting to breach the peace while the suspect is in our custody pending conclusion of investigation," Mohammed said. He said the police used tear gas and fired shots in the air to disperse the protesters, while the market and other businesses were shut to prevent the situation from escalating.

When I say this guy is lucky to still be alive - I mean he's REALLY lucky. Get a load of this:

Muslim-dominated northern Nigeria has been a hotbed of religious strife in the west African country of some 140 million inhabitants.

In 1996, a number of Muslims scaled the fence of a prison in Kano where a Christian, Gideon Okah, was in protective custoday after he was accused of sacrilege against the Koran.

Okah was subsequently killed, with his murderers hoisting his head onto a spike in jubilation.

That's right - they put his head on a spike.

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