Unrest In Nigeria

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 850, 19 December 1929, Page 11

Unrest In Nigeria

POLICE FIRE ON NATIVES Eighteen Casualties: All Women British Official Wireless Received Noon. RUGBY, Tuesday. QUESTIONED in the House of Commons regarding native unrest in South Eastern Nigeria, Doctor Drummond Shiels, Parliamentary Under-Secretary to India, said that according to scanty information received the cause of the disturbances tv as assessment, which involved counting women in certain districts. This gave rise to a wholly unfounded rumour that it was intended to impose a direct taxation on women. The recent lowering of prices paid by merchants for native produce was a further contributing factor.

On sembled ana despite assurances that there was no intention of taxing women proceeded to loot and destroy property at various places in the neighbourhood of Aba and Opobo. Additional police were brought, in to deal with the situation and were reinforced by detachments of the Royal West Frontier Force. WOMEN SHOT He reported that on December 1G it had been necessary to introduce additional troops and police and the rioters had attacked officials at Opobo, where it had been necessary for tlie police to fire on the crowd, causing IS casualties; which he regretted to say were all women. It was not stated how many were fatal. The districts in question were a long way from headquarters and the people

were still largely in primitive conditions. It would probably be some time before the situation became quite clear. Telegraphing last night the Governor reported the situation round Aba was now satisfactory and every effort was being made to avoid further bloodshed. Dr. Shiels confirmed that Dr. Berkowitz was shot at and wounded on December 3 at Safed in Palestine and his condition was serious. He added that 10 minutes later, at the same place, an Arab Customs officer was shot at and wounded. The British Government was satisfied that the Palestine Government was capable of maintaining order in that country but it was, of course, impossible to guarantee, in Palestine, or elsewhere, that isolated cases might not occur of offences against life and property.