AGOS, Nigeria — LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - Soldiers patrolling Nigeria's volatile central region received shoot-to-kill orders after a Christian mob killed a Muslim election worker and set his body on fire, an army spokesman said Tuesday.
The death Monday in Jos, a flashpoint of religious tension between Nigeria's two dominant religions, comes as technical problems continue to plague the nation's effort to register 70 million eligible voters before a crucial April presidential election.
The new orders in Jos allow soldiers to kill anyone trying to hurt another person or destroy a home, church or mosque in the city and surrounding areas, Capt. Charles Ekeocha said. The military has been a dominant presence in the city since violence began there last year that has left more than 500 dead.
"The best option is to make sure you stop the person," Ekeocha told The Associated Press. "Even if it means taking the person's life, it is OK."
The attack Monday began after election workers decided to move a registration point without informing the joint military and police task force in the city, the captain said. A Christian mob gathered, upset by the fact that workers handling the registration were Muslims.