Religious clashes are now regular news from Nigeria.
In 1999 and 2000, the Nigerian state has experienced a profound crisis based on the religious differences in the country. Their protests were answered with violent upheavals, killing over 1000 persons in February. These were followed by upheavals in predominantly Christian southern states, killing another 500. The conflict is based on a profound distrust between Muslim Northerners and Christian Southerners, making an increasing part of the Nigerian population thinking that the breakup of the 36-state federation, comprising three big ethnic blocs and over 250 smaller nationalities, was a price they were willing to pay to stop the confrontations. Several regional leaders have been calling for a rethink of the basis of the country's unity.