Kaduna
| Kaduna | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Coordinates: 10°31′23″N 7°26′25″E / 10.52306°N 7.44028°E | |
| Country |
 Nigeria
|
| State | Kaduna State |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai |
| Area | |
| • Total | 131 km2 (51 sq mi) |
| Population (2006 census) | |
| • Total | 760,084 |
| • Rank | 8th |
| • Density | 5,800/km2 (15,000/sq mi) |
| • Ethnicities | Gbagyi, Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo, |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+1) |
| Climate | Aw |
| Website | [1] |
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-western Nigeria, on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna was at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census. Rapid urbanization over the past decade has created an increasingly large population, now estimated to be around 1.3 million. Kaduna's name derives from the Hausa word "kada" for crocodile ("kaduna" being the plural form).
Kaduna was founded by the British in 1913 and became the capital of Nigeria's former Northern Region in 1917. It retained this status until 1967. The first British governor of Northern Nigeria, Sir Frederick Lugard, chose the present site due to its proximity to the Lagos-Kano Railway. Sir Ahmadu Bello, the premier of Northern Nigeria (1954-1966), was assassinated in Kaduna on January 15, 1966 in an Igbo military coup. This contributed to the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970).
People hailing from Kaduna include Dahiru Sadi, Tijani Babangida, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab ("the underwear bomber"), Celestine Babayaro and Fiona Fullerton (British actress and former Bond girl). The Nigerian Islamic umbrella association Jama’atu Nasril Islam is based in the city.
Due to its religious makeup, Kaduna has been the scene of religious tension between Muslims and Christians, particularly over the implementation of shari'a law in Kaduna State beginning in 2001. In February 2000, approximately 1,000 people were killed in a riot and several cars and houses were burned to ashes. The city remains segregated to this day, with Muslims living mainly in the north and Christians in the south. Another incident in 2002 stemmed from an article in a Lagos newspaper that offended Muslims over the upcoming Miss World pageant scheduled for that week in the capital city of Abuja, suggesting that if Muhammad watched the beauty pageant he would end up marrying one of its contestants. A massive riot ensued. Churches were among the most frequently attacked targets: More than 20 were burned by Muslims. In retaliation, Christians burned eight mosques. Several hotels were also burned. The city suffered widespread damage, and 11,000 people were left homeless. In particular, the local offices of the newspaper that had published the offending article were torched. As a result, thousands of civilians fled the city to escape. Civil unrest soon spread to the capital, Abuja. After four days of rioting, Nigerian security forces quelled the riots and arrested hundreds of rioters. A temporary curfew was imposed, although individual killings continued. 215 bodies were counted on the streets or in morgues, while some others were buried by their families. 1,000 people were wounded. The funerals of many of the victims took place shortly after the riot ended. Muslim rioters were tried in Sharia courts, while Christian rioters were tried by civilian jurisdictions. The editor of the newspaper that had provoked the riots was arrested, and Isioma Daniel, the reporter who wrote the article, resigned and fled to Norway. Kaduna was the place where Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the suspect of the terrorist attempt of arson on Northwest flight 253 in December 2009, grew up and returned to on vacation.
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Wikipedia