Lagos (Fides Service) - While Nigeria is still in flames, Rev. Fr. George Ehusani, of the Catholic Secretariat in Nigeria, has sent Fides an article to help explain the episodes of violence, connected with the Miss World contest, news of which is being flashed around the world. The priest says: "Since February 2000, Sharia-related violent riots during which hundreds of lives are lost, and churches, shops, cars and houses belonging to Christians are burnt, have become a regular feature in Kaduna, Kano, Jos, Zaria and Bauchi, where a large population of Christians live alongside Muslims. Innocent Christians and Southerners carrying on their legitimate businesses in the Northern States have either had to relocate down South or have lived in perpetual fear of the murderous gang of Islamic fanatics whose thirst for the blood of non-Muslims in their midst is now shown to be insatiable." Fr Ehusani underlines the responsibility of poor government: "What we have been witnessing in Nigeria in the last few years, is actually the failure of state and the collapse of governance". The remedy Fr Ehusani says is commitment on the part of every citizen: " It is not enough for us to desire peace for our land. We must be peace makers as well. We must be committed to designing strategies to forestall, manage and resolve conflict situations." See complete text at www.fides.org (Fides Service 25/11/2002)