UNREST IN NIGERIA
The October 11 elections in Nigeria, Africa's most populous _ country, was marked by such irregularities, including the stuffing of ballot boxes, that civil strife broke out in most of the towns,
“In the suburbs of Lagos itself houses and factories were set on fire by demonstrators.
At Ibadan police charged demonstrating + students, injuring at
least five, A three-hour battle between demonstrators and police reinforced by troops took place at Abeokuta, while at Idanre, Akure, Ekiti and Gboyin many were reported injured in demonstrations.
M.D. SAdegbenro, leader of the opposition United Progressive Grand Alliance, was arrested October 14 on charges of setting up a dual government when he refused to recognize the official count. Bight other UPGA leaders were arrested on the same charge within a -few days. They were acquitted October 21 by the high court at Ibadan when the prosecution dropped the charges.
Nigeria has been unstable since June 1964, when a two-week general strike virtually paralyzed the country. The principal issue was wage demands.
The government responded with a nationwide witch-hunt which succeeded in bottling up the unrest. The temporary nature of this solution is shown by the fresh rise in tension.